


Jealousy

by Serani



Series: Firsts - Changes Prequels in Monoshizukanohi [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Frottage, Hand Jobs, M/M, Masturbation, Monoshizukanohi, Oral Sex, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-20
Updated: 2012-06-20
Packaged: 2017-11-08 04:46:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/439300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serani/pseuds/Serani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of Kotetsu/Izumo stories of important events for them prior to “Changes.”  Jealousy can cause all manner of misunderstandings and problems, especially when the reasons for it aren't clear.  For Izumo and Kotetsu and their new boyfriends, it's a recipe for catastrophe. Can they work it out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> REMINDER:This story takes place in Darkprism's Monoshizukanohi Universe. Though the appearances of Monoshizukanohi locations in this series of stories is minor, it does exist and that world belongs to her. She graciously allows me to play.
> 
> Second reminder: While this story is relatively tame, but the boys ARE, technically, underage . So, technically, I need to add the "minor" warning.

"HAGANE KOTETSU!" Izumo stormed up to his best friend. It was only by virtue of the teacher standing a few doors away watching him that Izumo didn't punch Kotetsu. "You fucking  _asshole_ !" He managed to keep his voice down, but only barely.   
  
Kotetsu flinched at the f-bomb, blinking at his friend and Izumo's eyes narrowed. "What…"   
  
"Don't try to play innocent with me," Izumo said. "I know you  _way_ too well. You told him! You  _asked_  him!"   
  
"What? No! I didn't!" Kotetsu protested, but Izumo wasn't listening, he was too busy angrily working the lock on his locker door.   
  
"How  _could_  you? You promised! Why would you tell Hayate I like him? Why? God, gym class was hard enough as it was!" Izumo raged, banging his head on his open locker door, not paying a bit of attention to Kotetsu's face.   
  
"Uh, Zumo…," Tetsu started.   
  
"Don't. Just don't! He's got to think I'm an idiot now…" He buried his face inside his locker.   
  
"Zumo-" Kotetsu tried again.   
  
"Don't you get it? God, you were right. I know I said I didn't have a crush on him, but dammit I should know by now that you know me better than I do." He shook his head, digging into the bottom of the pile for his math book.    
  
"Um, Zumo…" Kotetsu started again, but it just ended in a sigh when Izumo ignored him.   
  
"You figured it out before  _I_  did. But, did you have to  _tell_  him I had a crush on him? I mean, come on! Upperclassmen do  _not_  get crushes on freshmen! And… and… I still don't even know if he's straight!" The last was said on an almost wail and Izumo hit his head against the locker door again. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!"    
  
Kotetsu flinched again at each subsequent "f" word. When he recovered, he finally shouted, "Kamizuki Izumo!"   
  
Izumo turned to him. "WHAT?!"   
  
Kotetsu pointed to the spot on the wall behind Izumo on the other side of his locker door.   
  
"Oh  _shit_ ." Izumo closed his eyes and the color drained from his face. "He's there, isn't he?" He opened his eyes to see Kotetsu nodding. "You… didn't tell him?" Tetsu shook his head. " _Fuck._ " He whispered then glanced apologetically at Kotetsu when he reacted.   
  
He gripped the locker door hard and took a deep breath then he plastered a very fake smile on his face and very slowly closed the locker door.   
  
Gekkou Hayate was slightly taller than Izumo. He was lean with thick shaggy dark hair that hung over his dark eyes and was downright gorgeous, in Izumo's opinion. He was also leaning against the lockers next to Izumo's with an amused smile on his face. "Hi."   
  
"H-" Izumo had to clear his throat. "Hi." He said, and could hear the shakiness in his voice, which brought his color back with a vengeance, leaving his cheeks bright red. "You… heard all of that, didn't you?"   
  
Hayate nodded his head. "Yes," he said, his smile spreading and the amusement was still in his eyes.   
  
"Right. Um, well, I'm… going to go… get hit by a bus now. It was… um… nice talking to you." Izumo said, turning with the full intention of running out into the street. With any luck, a bus  _would_  be driving by at that point so he  _could_  get hit.   
  
"You know, there are more pleasant ways to spend a Friday afternoon and the weekend than in the hospital." Hayate said, conversationally.   
  
Izumo swallowed and looked at Kotetsu for help, but he just shook his head and shrugged. Izumo's gaze told him there'd be retribution then Izumo turned back around. "I'm afraid that, at the moment anyway, I can't possibly think of a single thing that would be more appealing than throwing my humiliated self in front of that bus. Maybe I'll be lucky and bypass the hospital altogether." He looked down at his watch. "In fact, one is due any minute."   
  
Hayate laughed and stood up from the lockers. "Do you really have to catch a bus to go home?" He asked.   
  
Izumo glanced again at Kotetsu who, for once, stayed silent. More retribution was promised. "Um, yeah. Tetsu and I always take the bus."   
  
Hayate nodded. "Well, how about this, why don't I give you two a ride home and we can talk somewhere that  _isn't_  the middle of the school hallways about the rumors I've heard and the things that you've just confirmed, hmm?"   
  
Izumo was wondering if it might be possible for the bus to take a detour and just drive right through the school for him. He paused for a moment, but apparently he wasn't going to be that lucky. He glanced once more at Tetsu who just shrugged again which meant that it didn't matter to him.   
  
Zumo took a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face. "Um, that'd be great, thanks. I… didn't think freshmen usually drove…"   
  
Hayate turned to head down the hall when Izumo closed his locker door and the other two fell into step next to Hayate. "Freshmen don't. I'm not a freshman."   
  
"Oh. Oops." Izumo wondered how much more of an ass he could make of himself and if maybe he'd be lucky and an earthquake or tornado might hit instead. He waited for a moment, but heard no rumbling or wind and sighed. "I'm sorry."   
  
Hayate chuckled. "Quite alright. I'm usually taken for a freshman. The only thing that saves me is my height, though that's not all that spectacular, compared to some of the guys here." He turned a smile on Izumo again and Izumo had to fight the urge to run. Again. No one should be that good looking. "In fact, I once had a teacher - and this was just this year, mind you - but the teacher asked me if I was supposed to be in the building and shouldn't I be over at the middle school."   
  
"You're joking." Izumo stared at him. Maybe he looked young for an upperclassman, but really.    
  
Hayate shook his head. "Nope. It  _was_  earlier in the year and, apparently, I've grown a bit since then, but…" he trailed off with a shrug.   
  
Hayate pushed open the door at the end of the hall and held it for Izumo to go through. Izumo glanced over at him then stepped through and his eye caught Tetsu's. Tetsu was strangely quiet, but he gave a smile of encouragement and Izumo started to feel a little better.   
  
Only a little. He still mostly wanted to die of embarrassment. They approached an old blue soft-top Jeep and Hayate went around to the passenger side to unlock the door. Izumo opened it and Tetsu slid into the back before Izumo could try to hide back there. Tetsu gave him a look that told him he was being ridiculous and Izumo sighed, climbing into the front seat.   
  
Hayate tossed his bag in the back next to Tetsu and climbed up behind the wheel. "Um, where am I going?" Hayate asked after he'd started the car and waited a moment and Izumo blushed, fighting another urge. This one to bounce his head off of the dash. He gave Hayate directions and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to try desperately to calm down.    
  
Hayate glanced in the rearview mirror. "Are you going home? Or to Izumo's?" He asked Kotetsu.   
  
"It's the same place," Izumo answered for him. At the puzzled glance, he said, "My mom sort of adopted him. His…"   
  
"My real mother's not around anymore." Kotetsu finished. "Izumo's mom is my mom now. She kind of has been for a while, anyway."   
  
"Okay, then, that's easy," Hayate said and Izumo was grateful that he let it go. His friendship with Tetsu was complicated enough without trying to explain it.    
  
They sat in silence for a while then Hayate turned on the stereo. WKDS came floating through the speakers and they let the music fight the awkwardness.    
  
"No." Hayate said, turning down the stereo a bit and Izumo's head whipped around.   
  
"No?" Izumo asked, confused.   
  
"Um. The answer to the question you wanted to ask. No, I'm not straight." Hayate clarified.   
  
"Oh." Izumo blinked, not sure what to do with that, except maybe hope the other boy didn't think he was a complete idiot.    
  
He wasn't really holding out much of that hope.   
  
Silence fell again and the awkwardness in the car grew once more. Izumo glanced over his shoulder at Kotetsu who was just sitting back and looking out the window. He didn't know what to make of that, or of the unreadable expression on Tetsu's face, so he turned around and tried to get a grip on his nerves again. Thankfully, a few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the house.    
  
Hayate turned off the car and Izumo cleared his throat. "Want to um, come in for um, a drink or something?" Izumo wanted to bounce his head off of something at the nervousness that he knew came through, but the window beside him was plastic instead of glass and obviously not going to do enough damage. He contemplated the windshield, but it was just a little too far away. Perhaps the seat would eat him…   
  
"Sure." Hayate said, interrupting Izumo's internal panic. He climbed out of the Jeep and started around the car. Izumo scrambled to get out quickly, Tetsu right behind him. He dug his house key out and nearly dropped it twice before he managed to open the door.    
  
"Um, just have a seat, I'll be right back." Izumo stuttered and waved a hand a little frantically toward the living room. With a glance at Kotetsu he escaped to the bathroom.    
  
He shut the door a little too hard and banged his head against it a couple of times. He turned to the mirror and noticed he was  _still_  blushing. "Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. What the hell am I doing?" He asked the mirror.   
  
"Panicking." Kotetsu said from a crack in the door, a laugh in his voice and Izumo nearly screamed.   
  
"FUCK, Tetsu!" He slammed a hand over his pounding heart and glared at his best friend. "Don't leave him out there alone!"   
  
"Why not? He's got the TV."   
  
Izumo rolled his eyes. "Because he's a  _guest_ ," he hissed.    
  
"Naw, he's your future boyfriend," Tetsu said with a grin.   
  
Izumo gave in to an urge and punched Tetsu in the arm. Hard. "Ouch! What the hell?"   
  
"I owed you that." Izumo grouched. He turned back to the sink, twisted the knobs and splashed some cold water on his face, hoping it would cool the color in his cheeks a little. "Go out and get him a drink," he said through the towel. "I'll be right out."   
  
"Sure, sure," Kotetsu said and Izumo was  _sure_  he could hear a laugh. He was going to punch his friend again later. Or maybe take it out on him at the Dojo the next day.   
  
He hung the towel back up, took another deep breath and left the bathroom. Why did he feel like he was walking to his doom?   
  
When he got back out to the living room the god of a boy was sitting on the couch, drink can in hand, half-watching the television. When Izumo stepped in, he sat up a little more and smiled at him again. Izumo noticed that Tetsu had made sure to take the only chair they had so he'd be forced to sit on the couch next to Hayate.   
  
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second.  _Get a grip!_ He smiled back. "So, um…"   
  
"I figure we've answered your big question," Hayate said.   
  
Izumo blinked, confused. "My…?"   
  
"My preferences." He clarified. "I figure that was probably the biggest thing."   
  
"OH." Izumo breathed a sigh of relief. "Um, yeah, I guess." Izumo glanced at Tetsu, who was trying to ignore them and failing miserably. He had a half smile on his face that had nothing to do with the rerun that was currently on the television.    
  
Izumo closed his eyes again and took one more breath. "Look, I feel like an idiot," he said, opening them again. "I thought Tetsu said something to you, or asked you or something and I was just too mad that he might have broken a promise to me to think clearly and I never really expected for you to be standing there anyway so I was just running off at the mouth because, like I said, I was just ma-" he stopped when Hayate put a finger over his lips. "mad." He finished when the finger moved.   
  
Hayate's lips twitched; he was obviously fighting another smile. "I like you too. How about we go out, hmm? A movie or something?" Hayate asked and Izumo blinked at him.   
  
"Out? Like… a date?"  _Shit. Way to trap him into one. He probably just meant to hang out or…_   
  
"Is that a problem? Are you allowed to?" Hayate asked.   
  
"Hmm?" Izumo had to focus.  _He wasn't arguing the date thing_ .  _He wants to go out on a date with me. Oh shit, now what?_  "Oh, um, yeah. I guess. I… haven't been on one before, but I don't think she'll - I mean my mom - I don't think she'll have a problem with it. My… mom doesn't really know, I guess. I mean, my preferences. But that's mostly because she just works a lot. I just don't think she's noticed that I don't really talk about girls all that much." He wound down and knew his face was probably bright red again. He sighed, closing his eyes and wishing for the millionth time that the floor would just  _swallow him up_  already. "God, I still sound like an idiot."   
  
Hayate laughed again. "No, you don't."   
  
Izumo shook his head. "I don't know how you can think I don't."   
  
"It's opinion. Just accept it. So, how about tonight? Movie? I'll pick you up at six?" Hayate asked, smiling.   
  
"Uh… okay." Izumo said, swallowing. "Six." Hayate set his empty drink can down and stood, Izumo standing up with him.    
  
Izumo walked Hayate to the door. "See you tonight," Hayate said, quietly and Izumo had to swallow. The look on Hayate's face made Izumo blush again. It was… well, Izumo didn't know how to describe it. The amusement from earlier was gone. He was serious and quiet, instead.    
  
"See you tonight," Izumo echoed and Hayate pulled the door open. Izumo watched him as he went down the short walk from the porch. He turned and waved when he got to his car and Izumo waved back then watched him get in and drive off.   
  
"Oh fuck, I'm in so much trouble." He groaned, sliding down the door and landing on the floor.   
  
"Why?" Kotetsu asked from the living room doorway.   
  
"I'm going on a date, Tetsu. What the hell was I thinking?" He put his head down on his knees and tried to remember how to breathe. "I'm going on a date. With another guy. The one I have a crush on."   
  
"You have a problem with the fact that it's a guy?"   
  
Izumo looked up at his best friend. " _No_ . You know that. But then again, how many gay guys do you know at school?"   
  
"Point." Tetsu said, nodding. "But do you really care what they think?"   
  
Izumo shook his head. "No, you're right. I care what you think." He paused, frowning. "What do you think?"   
  
Kotetsu crossed the small hallway and sat down next to his friend. "I think you're freaking out over nothing. It's a movie. Maybe some food. And he's a guy, just like us. He goes to the same school, has the same - well, mostly the same - classes we do. He watches TV, listens to music and is, you know, a mostly normal guy."   
  
"Mostly?"   
  
"Well, he's got to be a little weird. He likes you, doesn't he?"   
  
The attempt at humor bypassed Zumo. He stared at his friend a moment then shook his head. "I don't get it."   
  
"What's there not to get? Why wouldn't someone like you?" Kotetsu asked, sounding irritated.   
  
Izumo missed the tone and shrugged a shoulder, but didn't say anything.   
  
"Fuck that," Tetsu said and Izumo fought the urge to flinch. His cock, despite his mental state, still responded to the word. They really were going to have to figure that out. He glanced up at his friend and glared. "Look, Zumo, you're hot. I've told you that. And obviously, this guy thinks so, too." He shrugged. "Why not just go and enjoy the movie and see where it goes from there?"   
  
Izumo sighed and let his head fall back against the door. "I guess. God, I just feel like such an idiot. What a way to start."   
  
Kotetsu shrugged. "Maybe it was better." At Izumo's look, he said, "look, at least he _knows_  you like him, right? That part's done."   
  
Izumo frowned. "I didn't think of it that way."   
  
"And he said he liked you." Another shrug. "Seems like the weirdest part's out of the way."   
  
"Yeah. I guess so." He sighed. "Now I just gotta figure out what the hell to wear." He made a face. "I sound like the giggling girls in the cafeteria." He shuddered.   
  
Kotetsu laughed. "Hardly. You're not going to start wearing makeup, right?" The glare from Izumo was answer enough. "And as long as you don't discuss whether your shoes match your bag, we're good."   
  
Izumo laughed, feeling better. Leave it to Tetsu. "Thanks." He bumped Tetsu's shoulder with his own. He glanced at the clock. He still had a couple of hours. "Well, better get some homework done or something."   
  
But an hour later, he hadn't done a single bit of homework and was, instead, just staring at himself in the mirror, his nerves back, full force. Then he heard his mom calling from the front of the house, "Izumo! Kotetsu?"   
  
Izumo gulped and stepped out into the hall. He glanced at Kotetsu, who'd come out of their room, and Tetsu gave him a bolstering smile and made a shooing motion with his hands. "Go on…"   
  
Izumo swallowed again and headed out to the kitchen. His mom was putting groceries away. "Hi Mom!" He said, hurrying over and he and Kotetsu started unpacking bags for her. "Um… I… have something to tell you," he said, his face buried in the pantry.   
  
"Oh?" Mrs. Kamizuki asked.   
  
"Yeah, um…" he started and nearly dropped the can in his hand onto his foot. He cursed himself silently then picked it back up. "I…um… have a… date tonight."   
  
"Oh that's wonderful!" His mom said and beamed at him, her warm brown eyes lighting up. Izumo was a male replica of his mother. "Who is he?"   
  
Izumo stood up fast, almost hitting his head on the upper cabinet and stared at his mother for a full minute before her question sunk in. "He… you… know?"   
  
"Oh honey, I've known for a while." She glanced at Kotetsu, but didn't say anything. Both boys blushed. She set the bag of rice down onto the counter and walked over to her son. "I may not be around as much as I want to be, but I still pay attention." She dropped a kiss on his forehead and went back to putting groceries away. "So, what's his name?"   
  
"Hayate," Izumo said, still a little stunned. "He's… um, supposed to be here at six."   
  
"Hay… oh." Her eyes darted to Kotetsu who had busied himself in the refrigerator, then back to Izumo. "Okay." She glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Better finish getting ready then," she coaxed and Izumo gulped.   
  
"Right, um…"   
  
"Home by eleven. And not a moment later." She said then made a shooing motion with her hand.   
  
Izumo shoved the last of the cans onto the shelf and hurried into his bedroom. He was still standing in front of his closet a few moments later when Kotetsu came in.    
  
"For God's sake, it's just a movie!" Kotetsu grumbled, yanking out a sweater and jeans and shoving it into his friend's hands. He shook his head. "But you might consider masturbating before you get dressed."   
  
Izumo blinked at him. "What?"   
  
"Masturbate. You've got to loosen up or you're going to be a basket case for the night. I'll even help." Kotetsu said as he stretched out on his bunk.   
  
"Um…" Izumo stared at his friend for a minute, his best friend, the one who had, on more than one occasion done exactly what he'd just suggested. But… somehow it felt weird to think of having Tetsu do that right before a date with another guy. Izumo shook his head. "No, um, I'll be fine."   
  
Tetsu shrugged. "Up to you," he said, and rolled onto his back.   
  
Izumo considered his friend for another moment, but something seemed off. He sat down next to him. "What is it?"   
  
"What's what?" Tetsu asked with a raised eyebrow.   
  
"Something's wrong."   
  
Tetsu blinked at the upper bunk. "Why would something be wrong?"   
  
Izumo growled. "Don't. Just, don't. Don't try to bullshit me."   
  
Kotetsu didn't say anything at first then sighed. "Why'd you turn me down?"   
  
Izumo blinked. "Turn you down? You mean about…"   
  
"Yeah, about helping you." Tetsu said, still not looking at Izumo.   
  
"Well, I just… think it'd be weird to do that right before a date with another guy." Izumo said, frowning.   
  
Kotetsu nodded, but Izumo had a feeling he didn't really understand. At a loss for what else to say, he got up and hurried into the bathroom.    
  
While he was in there, however, he couldn't help but think about what Tetsu said. He soaped up his hand and brought Hayate's image into his head. But when it was all over with, he frowned when he realized it wasn't Hayate's face he'd had in his head at the end. It was Tetsu's.


	2. Chapter 2

The knock on the door came at six on the dot. Izumo's eyes flew to Kotetsu, who looked back at him and his friend's lips curved. The smile didn't seem to quite reach Tetsu's eyes, but Izumo couldn't figure it out right then.   
  
He answered the door to see Hayate dressed almost exactly the same as he was. The sweater was a v-neck instead of a turtleneck and in red instead of blue, but the jeans were the same and he even wore similar loafer-type shoes. And that incredible smile. Izumo smiled back. "Hi."   
  
"Hi. Ready to go?" He asked and Izumo nodded.   
  
"I'm going!" Izumo shouted into the house.   
  
"Have fun, honey!" His mom shouted from the back.   
  
He was about to step through the door when Kotetsu came out of the living room. "Hayate," he said and the look on his face wasn't welcoming.   
  
"Kotetsu," Hayate said, nodding.   
  
Izumo looked from one to the other. "Well, um, later, Tetsu."   
  
"Later, Zumo." Kotetsu said, his eyes never leaving Hayate.   
  
Izumo's eyes went from his best friend to his date and back again, but gave up trying to figure it out and turned to the door. "Um, let's go?"   
  
Hayate nodded and turned his attention back to Izumo, the smile back in place. They walked to the car in silence and Hayate surprised Izumo by opening the car door for him. "Um, thank you." He said, and took a moment after he was in the seat to try to calm his nerves again. The session in the shower apparently didn't do very much for him.   
  
"So, have you eaten?" Hayate asked as he pulled out into traffic.   
  
"No. To be honest, I was too nervous."   
  
Hayate smiled, but didn't laugh, which Izumo was grateful for. "Would you believe I was, too?"   
  
Izumo shook his head, this time it was his turn to chuckle. "No."   
  
The smile widened. "Yup, really was. Think you could eat?"   
  
Izumo nodded. "Yeah, I can."   
  
"Pizza?" Hayate suggested.   
  
"Sure." Izumo said and again felt a little silly for being so nervous. He shook his head at himself. "So, um, what kind of movies do you like?"   
  
Hayate threw him a grateful look and Izumo wondered if maybe the other boy  _was_ as nervous as he was. They slid into a discussion of different movies, which spilled into TV and books and before Izumo knew it, the pizza - they discovered they liked the same toppings - was on the table between them and they were talking and laughing.   
  
When they got to the theater, the movie choice was almost a no brainer and they settled into the seats with a shared bucket of popcorn and their drinks, conversation having never really slowed. They'd moved into discussion on music and then back into books so that when the movie started, they almost didn't want to stop. But the tornados and their chasers took their attention and they got sucked into the action on screen quickly.   
  
The only awkward moment came about half way through the movie when both of them reached for popcorn at the same time. Their hands collided and they paused to look at each other. Izumo blushed, but hoped the dark theater would hide the color.   
  
Of course, it got worse when Hayate took his hand and held it and used the other to pick up the popcorn, not letting the first one go. Izumo's heart pounded, but he managed, through sheer force of will, to turn his attention back to the movie. His hand tightened in Hayate's, who squeezed gently back. Then the house crashing onto the street caught their attention and the comments about cows made them laugh and the tension eased again.   
  
When the movie was over, they let their hands go to get out of the theater, tossing their cups and bucket into the garbage. But as soon as the trash was taken care of, Hayate glanced over at him again and took his hand once more. "Great movie." Hayate started.   
  
Izumo nodded. "Yeah. 'That's no moon, that's a space station!'" He quoted and Hayate laughed.   
  
"One of the best lines. Although the one at her aunt's house… how did it go... 'Honey, this is a tissue of lies… there was another Bill, an evil Bill… and I killed him'," Hayate chuckled.   
  
Izumo laughed. "Yes. I think I'm going to have to watch this one again."   
  
"Me, too. I have a feeling it'll be one of those that people quote a lot," Hayate said with a grin, opening Izumo's door for him.   
  
Izumo nodded and climbed up into the Jeep. Hayate let go of his hand reluctantly and closed the door. Hayate hurried around the car and Izumo found himself watching the other boy move.   
  
When Hayate slid behind the wheel and started the car, he turned to Izumo. "What time do you have to be in?"   
  
Izumo glanced at the clock on the dash, frowning. "Eleven."   
  
Hayate looked disappointed and it made Izumo feel good. "Oh well," he said and started driving. "For the first time in my life, I find myself annoyed with standard shift," he muttered.   
  
"Oh? Why's that?" Izumo asked before he could think it through.   
  
Hayate didn't answer at first and Izumo realized he probably hadn't meant to speak out loud. Hayate glanced over, shifted the car again, then reached over and took Izumo's hand again. "So…" he started, then grumbled as he had to let go and shift again. Izumo left his hand were Hayate had put it and smiled when the other boy's hand came right back when they hit a stop light.   
  
"So," he started again, "would you like to go out again?" He asked and, to Izumo's astonishment, his voice hitched a little.   
  
Izumo blinked for a moment at Hayate. He was nervous! And that knowledge steadied him a little. "Yes, I would. I'd… take you out, but I don't have a car." He chuckled.   
  
"I wouldn't have one either, but my brother fixes them up. This is technically his, but I badgered him until he let me drive it. Do you drive?"   
  
"Yeah. Just don't have the car. Tetsu and I got our licenses the same day." Izumo frowned, realizing he hadn't been thinking of Tetsu all that much throughout the night.   
  
"That doesn't surprise me. I'm a little surprised he let you out of his sight long enough to go on a date." Hayate said and Izumo's frown deepened.   
  
"We've been friends a really long time. I think I was maybe six when we met."   
  
"Wow that is a long time." Hayate said and glanced to the side at Izumo. "And, hey, I have no interest in getting between you." He paused. "I don't think he likes me, though."   
  
"Tetsu? Of course he does. He was the one that encouraged me to talk to you," Izumo said, "even if I didn't take his advice."   
  
Hayate shrugged. "I don't know. Seems like he wasn't too happy when I picked you up." He glanced at Izumo again. "Like I said, though, I don't want to get between you. I'd like to be his friend, too."   
  
Izumo smiled. "I'm sure you will be."   
  
They pulled up in front of the house and Izumo swallowed. "Well, um…" he started, his nerves coming back full force.   
  
"What are you doing tomorrow?" Hayate asked.   
  
"Oh, Tetsu and I have class at the Dojo tomorrow morning. Afternoon, though, is free."   
  
"How about we do something then? Maybe we can all hang out - Kotetsu, too."   
  
Izumo nodded. "Okay. We, um, get home around eleven." Hayate had turned toward him in the seat and was looking at him and Izumo's voice had started to shake again. He took a deep breath.   
  
"Okay. I better get you in so your friend doesn't come out and kick my ass." He chuckled, but Izumo shook his head.   
  
"I'll kick his. He knows I can beat him."   
  
Hayate laughed. "Good to know. Stay there." He said and climbed out of the car. Izumo watched him walk around and open his door for him again.   
  
Hayate took his hand as they walked up to the porch, then the other boy turned toward him. "Can I kiss you?" He asked quietly and Izumo's heart nearly stopped.   
  
He'd never kissed anyone besides Kotetsu before. But his head was nodding before his brain could seem to work and Hayate was leaning in toward him. He paused, just a tiny distance away from Izumo's lips and glanced up at Izumo's visible eye. He reached up and brushed at the bangs, and smiled when the other eye was exposed. "Better," he whispered and leaned forward that final inch.   
  
Izumo's eyes closed automatically when he felt the other boy's lips on his. It was… nice. Chaste and light, Hayate just brushed his lips over Izumo's. They held there briefly, then Izumo put a bit of force behind it, wanting and needing to feel more and Hayate responded.   
  
Izumo's hands snuck up onto Hayate's shoulders and he held on as the kiss deepened. Nibbles and nips and then he felt the tongue glide along his bottom lip and his mouth opened, still without much thought. Then the other boy's tongue slid along his and he nearly stopped breathing. His hands tightened into the thick sweater and Hayate's other arm snaked around his waist pulling him in close.   
  
They broke apart a moment later, both panting hard. Brown eyes met black and they stared. Izumo could feel Hayate's arousal pressing insistently against his own and it only made it that much harder to breathe. "I…" Hayate cleared his throat. "I should go."   
  
Izumo nodded. "Yeah," it came out just barely on a breath, but neither moved.   
  
"Um, does your mom know about your, erm, about me?" Hayate asked as they both worked to steady their breathing.   
  
"My?" Izumo asked, holding his breath.  _Please say boyfriend, please say boyfriend..._   
  
"Well, um, I don't want to… well, assume. Just one date, you know," Hayate stammered and Izumo smiled. Hayate's nervousness helped him a bit.   
  
"My boyfriend?" Izumo asked and Hayate swallowed and nodded. "Yes, she knows. She, um, apparently already figured it out." He chuckled. "I should know better. My mom's a very observant person." He sighed. "Which means she knows I'm already home and out here."   
  
Hayate nodded. "Okay. Tomorrow, then. After lunch?" He asked and Izumo nodded. The taller boy leaned in and laid another kiss on Izumo's lips before reluctantly stepping back.   
  
Kotetsu didn't wait to see Hayate go back to his Jeep or drive away. He stepped away from the window and went back to his bunk. He rolled onto his side, facing the wall, his back to the room. He had no idea why it bothered him to see Izumo kissing someone else, but the feelings that had stormed through him when he'd seen them lean in had really messed with him.   
  
He listened as Izumo came into the room, heard the quiet, "Tetsu" and ignored it. Hopefully, Izumo would think he was asleep. He wasn't sure what would be on his face right at that moment and he didn't want to upset Izumo. At least until he figured out what was wrong himself.   
  
He followed the sounds of Izumo undressing and changing into his pajama bottoms, then the movement of the bunk as he crawled into his own bed. Kotetsu resisted the urge to sigh and instead pulled the blanket tighter around himself. It was a long time later before he fell asleep.   
  
  
  
Izumo lay in the quiet room, his mind going a million different directions. He had a boyfriend! He was  _dating_ .   
  
And he felt terrible.   
  
Kotetsu didn't have one, that's what he told himself. It was just that he didn't want to see Tetsu alone. That was all. He felt bad because there was someone else, now, that would want his attention.   
  
He watched the patterns of shadow and light as they moved across the ceiling from the street lamps and traffic on the road. The trees that stood just outside his window moved in the slight breeze and made interesting shapes, but Izumo didn't really see any of them.   
  
He saw Hayate's face and Kotetsu's face. They kept switching places, his best friend turning into his boyfriend and vice versa. He fell into a fitful, uneasy sleep plagued by odd dreams.   
  


* * *

  
The whimpering leaked through his dreams again. Another dream where he couldn't reach Kotetsu, couldn't touch, couldn't comfort him. This time, there was something keeping him back. Hands were holding him, strong ones.   
  
And the frustrating thing was that they were hands he  _wanted_  on him. Hands he _wanted_  to feel, except for the fact that they were keeping him from Kotetsu. He tried to call out to Tetsu, tried to  _tell_  him it would be okay, but no sound came out.   
  
He sat bolt upright again, and yet again struggled to surface from the dream. His breathing was harsh, loud pants filling the silent bedroom and he looked around in confusion until the room righted itself and normalcy once again became obvious.   
  
His and Tetsu's bedroom. Their bunk beds.   
  
Another whimper floated up to him and he realized what was going on. He took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart. The whimpering came again and he slid off of his bunk, landing on Tetsu's. He leaned forward, shaking his friend's shoulder. "Tetsu."   
  
Kotetsu didn't move and Izumo shook him again. When Tetsu didn't react for the second time, Izumo frowned and stretched out along his friend, wrapping his arms around him. "Tetsu," he said, into his friend's ear and the other boy rolled over, grabbing Izumo, arms tight around Izumo's waist. Tetsu snuggled into him and, despite himself; Izumo found he was having the same problem he'd  _been_  having anytime Kotetsu curled up with him.   
  
He got hard. Again.   
  
Izumo suppressed the sigh when Kotetsu tangled his legs with Izumo's and pulled them tight together. As had happened before, Tetsu was just as hard as Izumo was and their arousals brushed again. Izumo's eyes closed on a quiet moan and he gritted his teeth to hold in the sounds.   
  
Tetsu rocked into him once more and Izumo's moan got louder. He felt his friend's mouth on him, hiding the moans. One hand trailed down Izumo's back to cup his ass and pull him into the other. A tongue slid along his and Izumo nearly lost himself.   
  
Then he remembered.  _Hayate._   
  
Shit.   
  
He had a boyfriend now! He couldn't do these things with Tetsu! He pulled back from the kiss and stilled. "Tetsu."   
  
There was no answer at first, then a sigh. "It's because of him, isn't it?"   
  
"Tetsu… he's my boyfriend," Izumo whispered miserably. "I'm sorry."   
  
"Then why'd you bother coming down here?" Kotetsu asked, grumpily.   
  
Izumo swallowed. "Because I'm not going to let you go through those nightmares, Tetsu. You're still my best friend. I still want to help you."   
  
There was another long silence. "I'm fine now. You can go back to your own bunk."   
  
Except Izumo knew it didn't work that way. If he went back to his bunk, the nightmares would just start back up again. Fuck. Now what? What could he do? As he thought it over, though, he knew he couldn't leave Tetsu to the nightmares just because he had a boyfriend now. He prayed that either Hayate would never know or he'd understand. "I can stay here to help you, Tetsu, I just can't do  _that_ ."   
  
The hand on his ass flexed then slid back up to his waist. It hovered on Izumo's side, just above his hip then slid to the center of his back and the arm squeezed in a comfort-seeking hug. Izumo relaxed and tightened his own arms around Kotetsu. "I'm sorry…" he whispered.   
  
"Don't." The single word tore Izumo's heart. He swallowed hard and nodded, hoping Tetsu could understand the movement.   
  
The arm disappeared briefly to pull the blanket over them. Kotetsu tucked it around Izumo and then he wrapped his arm back around his friend.   
  
And despite the ignored arousal, despite their quiet misery, they both fell asleep shortly thereafter.


	3. Chapter 3

They'd been worked hard in the Dojo the following morning and both boys had been rather grateful for it. When they woke, things had been awkward for a few moments. They didn't say much, just got up and got ready to go to the Dojo.   
  
Gai had greeted them as he always had with his exuberance, thumbs up and huge smile then proceeded to put them through their paces. The physical exertion had helped them clear their heads and by the time they left the Dojo and were on the bus on the way home, the tension from the night before had begun to fade.   
  
"Hayate's coming over this afternoon. He wants to hang out with both of us," Izumo said over their lunch of sandwiches.   
  
"Both of us?" Kotetsu asked, looking up.   
  
Izumo nodded. "Yeah. He wants to be your friend, too."   
  
Kotetsu frowned. "I wasn't very nice to him yesterday when he picked you up. Sorry about that. I guess it's just weird for you to do stuff without me."   
  
"I know. But if we're all friends, maybe it won't be the rule, you know."   
  
Tetsu nodded. "Yeah."   
  
Not long after they'd finished and cleaned up, there was a knock at the door. They looked at each other and Tetsu smiled, this time genuinely. "Go on. It's your boyfriend."   
  
Izumo shook his head at his friend, still a little confused by Tetsu's shifts over Hayate and hurried to the door. When he opened it, Hayate was leaning against the jamb.    
  
"Hi," he greeted Izumo with that deadly smile.   
  
"Hi," Izumo said, his own smile wide. He stepped back and Hayate stood up, approaching him. He glanced over Izumo's shoulder at Kotetsu.   
  
"Hi, Kotetsu," Hayate said, a little warily.   
  
"My friends call me Tetsu," he said and then turned to toward the living room. "And you better kiss him before he explodes." There was a grin in his voice as he headed into the other room.   
  
" _Tetsu…_ " Izumo groaned, his eyes closing in mortification.   
  
Hayate just chuckled and then Izumo felt his boyfriend's lips on him and a hand on the side of his face. His eyes flew open then slid closed right away as he accepted the kiss. Hayate kept it light and  _mostly_  chaste and pulled back just a moment later. "Hi," he said again, quietly this time.   
  
"Hi," Izumo grinned up at him. "Come in."   
  
Mrs. Kamizuki chose that moment to come out from the kitchen. "Hello," she smiled. "You must be Izumo's boyfriend."   
  
Izumo was back to hoping the floor would open up. Did she have to put it  _that_  way? He swallowed. "Mom, this is Hayate. Hayate, this is my mom. Um, Mrs. Kamizuki."   
  
"You can call me Mom, too." She smiled. "It's nice to meet you. Izumo, come get drinks for everyone."   
  
Izumo glanced at Hayate. "I'll be right back." He waved toward the living room. "Just… yeah…" he turned and hurried after his mother.   
  
She'd pulled cans of soda out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter. "Do you want snacks or something?" She asked, turning to her son.   
  
"No, Mom, that's okay." He said, grabbing the cans, hoping to escape quickly back to the living room.   
  
"Just a minute, Zumo." She said and stepped up to the counter next to him. Izumo watched her bite at her bottom lip and he felt panic settle in. "Um, I wanted to ask you… um… are you…" _  
  
No. No no no no no. She's not going to ask me this. She's not._   
  
"Sexually active?" _  
  
She did._ Izumo closed his eyes and  _knew_  his face was bright red. "No, Mom. I haven't had sex yet."   
  
"Okay. Good. I just wanted you to, you know, be safe if you do."   
  
Izumo's eyes flew open and stared at his mother, blinking. "Mom?"   
  
"Well, I don't have to worry about you getting a girl pregnant, do I?" She asked, with a puzzled look. "But I'm a nurse. I see plenty of diseases and stuff that comes from unsafe sex. I just want to make sure you're being safe."   
  
"Mom, is it possible to die of acute embarrassment?" He asked, closing his eyes again.   
  
She laughed. "No. I won't say anything more, I promise." She pulled him in for a hug. "I saw you kiss and I'm a mom. I worry. Now, go have a good afternoon with your friend and boyfriend."   
  
When she let him go, Izumo stepped back and stared at her. "Thanks," he mumbled and escaped the kitchen. When he got to the living room, Tetsu raised an eyebrow, but Izumo just shook his head.  _Not now._   
  
He handed the drinks around and settled in on the couch next to Hayate - yet again the only place open to sit. Izumo registered vaguely that  _Star Wars_  was playing on the VCR. Hayate looked over at Izumo. "Are you okay?"   
  
Izumo closed his eyes and willed the color to fade from his cheeks. "My mother has the world's  _worst_  timing."   
  
Kotetsu moved over next to Izumo on the couch. "What did she say?"   
  
Izumo glanced over at Tetsu. "She…" he started, his cheeks heating more. "She asked me if I've had sex yet."   
  
Both of the other boys winced. Kotetsu cast a frightened look toward the kitchen. "She's not going to ask me, is she?"   
  
Izumo shook his head. "I don't think so. She… she didn't catch  _you_ kissing your boyfriend."   
  
Another wince. "Sorry," Hayate mumbled.   
  
Izumo looked over at him. "No. Not your fault. See… my mom's a nurse and, well, she sees a lot of stuff at the hospital, so she's a little more, um, health conscious than other people. And, well, she's just worried about… you know… stuff…" He buried his hot face in his hands for a moment then sighed and looked back at Kotetsu. "Besides, now that she's talked to me, she'll assume I'll talk to you. You're off the hook." He glared at his best friend a minute, muttering "not fair" then slumped back. "Ugh."   
  
Hayate rubbed a hand over Izumo's back. "That sucks. How about we worry about Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, instead?"   
  
"I like that idea." Izumo said and they turned their attention to the screen.    
  
It didn't take long for the embarrassment to fade as they heckled the movie and quoted along. Izumo's mom brought out popcorn at one point. They switched tapes and though Hayate made a point of holding Zumo's hand or keeping an arm around him, they did have a lot of fun together. "No! No! Don't kiss her! She's your sister! And she's a girl! Ewww!" Kotetsu yelled.   
  
"Seriously, dude, kiss Han. He's a lot hotter," Hayate added and Izumo and Kotetsu laughed.   
  
"Then there's Lando. He's not bad," Izumo added then glanced at his boyfriend, realizing what he'd said.   
  
Hayate grinned at him and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "Eh. He's okay." Hayate shrugged. "There really aren't a lot of cute guys in these movies, you know."   
  
Kotetsu either didn't notice the kiss, or he ignored it. "I think they just don't want to take the spotlight away from Han," Kotetsu said and the other two nodded. "Mr. Badass himself."   
  
This was answered with chuckles and they turned their attention back to the movies. When the credits were just rolling on  _Return of the Jedi_ , Izumo's mom appeared in the doorway again. "Hayate, would you care to stay for dinner?"   
  
Hayate glanced at Izumo, who raised his eyebrows and waited. "Mom makes great stir fry." Kotetsu said and Izumo felt Hayate relax.   
  
"I'd like that, thank you."    
  
"Good. Okay, Izumo, Kotetsu, come set the table and get washed up." She left the doorway and the three of them stood up.    
  
Izumo was nervous at first. His mother made sure that Hayate sat next to him. But she didn't bring up anything embarrassing, thankfully. He was also grateful that the naked baby pictures he knew she had stayed in her bedroom.    
  
Hayate helped clean up and wash dishes, which earned him major points with Mrs. Kamizuki. When they were finished and everything was put away, Hayate turned to Kotetsu. "Mind if I steal him away for a while?"   
  
The spiky-haired boy just stared. "That's up to him, but… I appreciate you asking." He smirked at Izumo. "Might be good, anyway. I never even get two minutes to myself with him around." Izumo snorted and smacked Kotetsu in the back of the head.   
  
When they were settled into the Jeep, Hayate glanced over at him. "I thought we might just drive for a bit." He said, reaching for Izumo's hand.    
  
"Okay. I don't much care, as long as we're... erm…" He trailed off, embarrassed again and looked out the window, watching the cars go by.    
  
Hayate grinned. "Me, too," was all he said as he took the turns to the interstate, grateful to be able hit fifth gear and leave it there. He took Izumo's hand again. "I think Kotetsu's warming up." He commented as he maneuvered through the Saturday night traffic.   
  
"He's just not used to sharing my time." Izumo glanced back over at Hayate. "I told you last night we've been friends for a long time." Hayate nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "But in all that time, it's been pretty rare that we've spent any real time apart. There was a few times where he lived further away than we liked, but he found his way to my house as often as he could. His… home life… well, it sucked. I can't tell you more than that, it's up to him, but…" he trailed off with a slight shrug. "Anyway, it's not you, specifically," Izumo finished.   
  
Hayate nodded again. "I kind of gathered that. So, does he have anyone? A boyfriend?"   
  
Izumo shook his head, "no. He's got a crush, but like I was with you, he doesn't even know if the guy is straight or what."   
  
"Oh? Who is it?" Hayate asked.   
  
Izumo glanced over at him, hesitating. But he hadn't promised Tetsu he wouldn't say anything. "Kenji."   
  
"Narita Kenji?" Hayate asked.   
  
"Yeah… do you know him?" Izumo asked.   
  
Hayate chuckled. "Your friend has good gaydar. Yes, I do. He's a friend of mine."   
  
"No kidding." Izumo stared. "Wow. Well, that's… something. Now if I can just convince Tetsu to say something…" He frowned in thought.   
  
"I could. Say something, that is."   
  
"You don't have to do that. I mean, I think it would be great, but…"   
  
"Are you kidding? Maybe Tetsu will let me have more time with you that way." Hayate said and Izumo blushed, again.   
  
"Okay. It would be nice for him to have someone else." Izumo said, and shifted his attention back to the window. Why did the thought of Tetsu with a boyfriend bother him? He shook the thought away and watched the scenery go by as Hayate took an exit off of the interstate. A few twists and turns and he pulled the car into a small parking lot. The sign next to it said, "Nara Nature Preserve."   
  
"They don't patrol out here much." Hayate said and Izumo raised an eyebrow at him.   
  
"You, um, spend a lot of time out here?" Izumo asked with an amused twist of his lips.   
  
Hayate laughed. "No. Not me. I heard my brother talk about it. He brings his girlfriends out here."   
  
"Oh." Izumo blushed, feeling foolish. "You know, though, um, I… don't know if, erm, never mind." He snapped his mouth shut, his face blushing brighter.   
  
"I've had a few boyfriends before, but not many, Izumo." He said, turning to his boyfriend.   
  
"It's… none of my business. I mean, you know, what you did before me."  _Could this_ be _any more awkward?_   
  
"It is, in fact. You have a right to know what you're getting into." Hayate said. "I've had sex," he said simply and shrugged. "But it was only with one person and, in case you're worried, I'm clean."   
  
Izumo just blushed more. He hadn't really given a lot of thought to it. Then again, he'd just started  _dating_  the other boy the day before, for God's sake! He tried to take a deep breath, but was finding it very difficult to do so. He's just told his mother that afternoon he wasn't sexually active! He closed his eyes and did his damnedest to get a hold of himself. "You're… my first boyfriend. I haven't before. Not… well, not actual sex."   
  
He kept his eyes closed, trying to will the color out of his cheeks again. He was infinitely grateful in that moment that his hair covered at least half of his face. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth in a vain attempt at finding some calm.   
  
"Kotetsu?" Hayate asked and Izumo nodded. He opened his eyes to see a pensive look on Hayate's face.    
  
"He's not my boyfriend. You are," Izumo said quietly and Hayate looked back at him and smiled.   
  
"It's okay." He shifted in his seat and leaned forward, reaching up and brushing the bangs out of Izumo's face, then closing the last bit of distance. Their lips met and this kiss  _wasn't_  chaste. This kiss  _wasn't_  light. Hayate's tongue traced a line along Izumo's bottom lip, asking for entrance and Izumo opened to him.   
  
It heated fast. Izumo's hands came up to frame Hayate's face, and he, too, leaned in. Someone let out a quiet moan and Hayate's arms slid around to Izumo's back, pulling him as close as possible within the awkwardness of the car. They shifted until Izumo was stretched across Hayate's lap, arms wrapped around each other, lips still fused.   
  
They broke apart for air, both panting heavily. Neither noticed the windows steaming nor cared. Their mouths crashed back together, tongues dancing again. More quiet moans, hands wandered and frustrations increased.    
  
When they pulled back again, Hayate reached down and slid the seat as far back as it would go and Izumo shifted again, straddling the taller boy. Hayate laid the seat down and then they were crushed against each other again. Hayate's arms were wrapped around Izumo, the shorter boy's arms bracing him against the seat.    
  
Izumo ground his incredibly hard arousal down into Hayate's earning him a very loud moan this time. Hayate's hands slid down to cup Izumo's ass and pulled him even tighter against him. They moved together, bodies straining. "Oh God, Hayate…" Izumo moaned.   
  
"Call me Yate…" he whispered. "Fuck, Izumo, you feel good. Oh  _God_ …" The words trailed off to a long moan, their groins pressing into each other harder.   
  
"Mmm. Yes. Zumo… unh… just Zumo…" He managed. Izumo couldn't think, couldn't breathe. He'd lost all sense of place and time. The only thing he knew was Hayate's body against him, the feel of that hard cock rubbing against his own even through the layers of fabric. He pulled back, resting his forehead on Hayate's shoulder before he embarrassed himself and came right there in his pants.   
  
"Fuck…" Hayate whispered, his breath coming in harsh gasps. "Zumo…" he moaned then one of his hands came around and cupped Izumo's cock. He rubbed his palm along the length, pulling even more sounds from Izumo's throat.    
  
"Fuck, Yate, stop, oh God, stop… I'll… I'm going…" he didn't get to finish what he was going to say. Hayate pulled him back down, capturing his lips again in a kiss, but slowed his hand.   
  
Izumo took one of his own hands and pushed it between them, rubbing Hayate's cock through the thick denim. He gripped it tightly, and Yate pulled back from the kiss, gasping. He scrambled for the button of his jeans. "Touch me, please…"he nearly begged.   
  
Izumo's hand dove into the jeans, his fingers dancing over the hard length. Their lips met again, the kiss sloppy and hot and Izumo felt his own button being opened, then heard the harsh rasp of the zipper as it was lowered. Then the cool air in the jeep met his hot flesh as Hayate pulled his cock out and he hissed. "Fuck."   
  
Izumo scrambled for the zipper on Hayate's jeans then finally managed to get his dick out, too. Their hands moved over each other's cocks, voices letting out loud pants that filled the air, breath was hot on each other's faces. "Oh God, Zumo… I'm… fuck, I'm close…" Hayate moaned loudly. He yanked his t-shirt up and out of the way, his back arched and Izumo watched his face twist. "Fuck now, oh God, NOW! ZUMO!" He shouted and Izumo savored the feel of the cock jumping in his grip as the thick cum shot out over his hand and Hayate's chest. He kept his hand going, drawing it out as long as he could for the other, giving as much pleasure as possible.   
  
The vision alone would have been enough, but when Hayate's fingers tightened around his own hard length, it was almost too much and he lost it, too. The climax roared through him, stealing breath and sight. "YATE! Ohhh fuuuuuck!" His body shook and shuddered, and Hayate's hand milked the last few drops of cum from him as he rode out his orgasm.   
  
Izumo slumped down onto the other boy, resting his head on Hayate's shoulder. Yate's arms came around him and held on as their breathing and hearts slowed.    
  
Izumo swallowed hard, half afraid to look up into his boyfriend's face. What must he think? They'd been together barely twenty four hours and they were practically having  _sex_ . God, he must seem desperate and slutty and... He licked his lips and braced himself then slowly looked up.   
  
And before he could even register the look on Yate's face or anything else, there were lips on his again. He placed a soft gentle kiss on Izumo's lips and it stole his breath once more. One hand moved from his back and brushed at the russet hair, pushing it back off of Izumo's face. They broke apart and Hayate smiled, almost sheepishly.   
  
Izumo puzzled over it. "Y…Yate?"   
  
"I hadn't meant to push you into something like this, this soon." He said, quietly.    
  
Izumo blinked. "You didn't push…" his cheeks colored. "I didn't exactly resist," he muttered. "More like acted like a slut," he mumbled and started to bury his face in the shoulder under him, but Hayate stopped him, tilting his chin up.    
  
He brushed a thumb across Izumo's cheek. "Not hardly."The hand on Izumo's back rubbed soothingly up and down and he pulled Izumo back in for another kiss. When they broke apart, Hayate snagged the blanket off of the back seat and they resettled a little bit, Izumo laying on top of the taller boy. Yate spread the blanket over them and they lay quietly together for a while, dropping soft kisses now and again.   
  
Finally, the taller boy glanced at the clock. "We have to go," he sighed.   
  
Izumo nodded. Hayate didn't let him go at first, though, stopping to kiss Izumo again thoroughly. With a sigh, he finally unwound his arms and Izumo struggled to get into the other seat again. They adjusted themselves in silence and, after one more kiss, Hayate started the jeep and pointed the car back to Izumo's house.   
  
They trip back was made in silence, the road noise and quiet interior broken only by the radio. Hayate held Izumo's hand except to shift, occasionally bringing it up to his lips to kiss. When they finally pulled in front of Izumo's house, Hayate squeezed Izumo's hand and hurried around to open his door again.   
  
They stopped on the porch and Izumo was grateful that his mom had left the light off. More light kisses, then Hayate reluctantly pulled away. "Can I see you tomorrow?" He asked.   
  
Izumo hesitated. "I have a shitload of homework to do."   
  
"I haven't done mine. I could bring it over."   
  
Izumo smiled at the hopeful tone of voice. "Okay. I'd like that. Um, Mom serves a kind of big dinner at noon. You're welcome to come for that."   
  
"I'd like that. I'll call Kenji tomorrow, too, then you and I can talk about him." He dropped another kiss on Izumo then finally stepped back with a sigh. "See you tomorrow."   
  
"Bye," Izumo said and stepped into the house. He watched from the door as Hayate got into his car and drove away.   
  
  
  
When he got into the bedroom, Kotetsu was still awake. He had a book open and face down on his chest. He glanced over at Izumo and one eyebrow went up. "Well, well. You look like you got busy."   
  
Izumo's cheeks colored. "What do you mean?" He asked, turning his back and stripping quickly then grabbing his pajama pants out of the dresser and pulling them on.    
  
Kotetsu got up and walked over to his friend, looking at him in the mirror over his shoulder. "Hmm…" he said in his ear, "let's see, swollen lips, messy hair and if your face doesn't say 'just fucked'…" he said.   
  
Izumo stared at his friend, but there was no malice, only amusement. He frowned. "We didn't fuck."   
  
Kotetsu's eyebrows shot up. "There's a whole world of sexual activity between nothing and fucking." His lips twisted again, fighting more amusement.   
  
Izumo sighed. "Fine. We jacked each other off. Happy?" He asked, embarrassed.   
  
"What? Was he an ass about it?" Kotetsu asked, eyebrows dropping in a scowl.   
  
"No! No, he wasn't. I…" he frowned. "I didn't know how you'd react," he finished, swallowing. "And… well, to be frank, I feel a bit like a slut."   
  
"Why?" Kotetsu asked.   
  
Izumo blinked at him. "We just started dating  _yesterday._ "   
  
"Well, you didn't fuck on the first date. Hell, you didn't fuck on the  _second_  date… if you could call that a date." He shrugged. "But really, jacking each other off isn't that big of a deal. You and I used to do it all the time."   
  
Izumo closed his eyes. "Yeah, but we've known each other for years, we're best friends. We're not practically strangers."   
  
"And neither are you and Hayate. If the look on his face is anything to go by, he's well on his way to being in love with you," Kotetsu pointed out. "And I'd bet you know what he's done sexually, know pretty much all of the things he likes, what he eats, know his full name, his brother's name, his family's name, probably know exactly where he lives… stop me when I get to something you don't know about him…" He paused and Izumo's mouth stayed firmly shut. "You've spent the better part of the last twenty-four hours talking to him, so I'm guessing you know plenty. And let's be serious. We're still in high school. It's not like this is the guy you're going to marry someday."   
  
Izumo frowned. That was very likely true. Hayate would likely not even be the last boyfriend he'd ever have. But the bottom line was, Tetsu didn't think less of him for it and that, even more than Hayate, was what mattered to Izumo. "Sorry, I'm still a little… lost here, you know?"   
  
"I know. Don't worry so much. Come on, you look ready to pass out," Kotetsu said and flipped the light switch, then steered Izumo toward their bunks.    
  
He aimed Izumo for the ladder to the upper bunk, but Izumo just turned to look at his friend. "Let's not even bother with that, hmm? You'll just end up with another nightmare."   
  
Kotetsu considered him a moment. "It won't bother you… because of Hayate?"   
  
Izumo shook his head. "I'm not comfortable doing other stuff, Tetsu, but you're still my best friend, and I won't make you go through that. If I can keep them away just by sleeping next to you, I will. I want to."   
  
Kotetsu grinned. "Thanks, Zumo." He rolled into his bunk and Izumo stretched out next to him. Izumo turned onto his side and rested on hand on Tetsu's hip. A short time later, he was asleep and neither so much as stirred until the next morning.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hiya gorgeous," Hayate said in Izumo's ear. Izumo spun around from his locker and grinned up at his boyfriend.   
  
"Hi." He glanced around and, seeing the hall mostly empty, he leaned up and dropped a quick peck on his cheek.   
  
"Is that all I get? Should I be hurt?" Hayate asked, feigning a frown.   
  
"I… didn't know how… public you'd want to be. I think the four of us are probably the only gay guys in the school." Izumo said, frowning. "I don't care, but…" he trailed off.   
  
"Neither do I. We'll probably take some shit in gym class, but…" he shrugged a shoulder. And with that, he leaned in for another kiss. He still kept it short, but much more obvious. "So, I finally got a hold of with Kenji last night. He's going to meet us at lunch."   
  
"Okay. I haven't said anything to Tetsu. He's got The Bitch first period, so he's already over there." Izumo shuddered.   
  
"Ewwww. Mrs. Suki? Ugh. I don't envy him. How'd you get out of it?" Hayate asked as Izumo shut his locker. He took Izumo's hand and they walked toward Izumo's first class.   
  
"Pure damned luck. I put my schedule request for this year in right before Tetsu and I was the last one in the class. I tried to switch, but they wouldn't let me. So, he got stuck with Suki for math. I felt so bad." Izumo was so wrapped up in Hayate, he didn't notice the few odd looks they got.   
  
"I would, too. Well, it might comfort him to know Kenji's got her, too. Later in the day, but…" Hayate said. They stopped outside of Izumo's classroom. He glanced around and the girls that were watching them turned away. He leaned in to Izumo's ear. "I'll miss you. See you in an hour."   
  
Izumo blushed. "I'll miss you." He said, feeling a little silly and incredibly happy at the same time. "See you." He said, then squeezed Hayate's hand and headed into the classroom.   
  
He thought lunch would never get there. Five minutes between classes suddenly felt like about thirty seconds. Izumo had no idea how Hayate managed it, but his boyfriend always seemed to be outside Zumo's classroom by the time he managed to get through the door. When lunch came around, he was waiting with someone else.   
  
Izumo looked over the other boy. He was almost as tall as Hayate, but not quite. He had long brown hair, pulled back in a tail and tied off, light hazel eyes and a narrow face with sharp cheekbones. Individually, his features seemed a little too… sharp, a little too angular, but together he was good looking. Izumo admitted to himself he was a little biased, but he thought Hayate was better looking. He kept his opinion to himself.    
  
"Hi, Kenji," Izumo said as he approached them. Hayate took his hand and they turned toward the cafeteria.   
  
"Hi," Kenji said, smiling. "So, um, tell me about Kotetsu. What does he like?"   
  
Izumo grinned. It looked like Kenji really was interested in his friend. "That could take a while. But… we take martial arts on the weekends, he's a geek like me, likes sci fi and fantasy stuff. He's read Lord of the Rings about a hundred times…" he trailed off as they got to the cafeteria. Kotetsu was leaning against the doorway, scowling.   
  
"Tetsu?" Izumo asked. He glanced over at Hayate who squeezed his hand and let go. He and Kenji stepped back. "What's wrong?"   
  
"The Bitch gave me detention." His scowl deepened.   
  
"Why?" Izumo glanced over his shoulder at the other two.   
  
"Because she yelled at me for not working two of my problems out."    
  
Izumo blinked. "And you yelled back, didn't you?"    
  
Kotetsu frowned. "Yeah."   
  
"Oh, Tetsu." He sighed. "Well, there's someone here who wants to talk to you."   
  
Kotetsu blinked and looked over at Hayate and his companion for the first time. His eyes widened when he realized who it was. "Kenji? What the hell, Zumo? Did you tell him I liked him?"   
  
Izumo shook his head. "No. I told Hayate that you might and  _he_  knew Kenji. Who, it turns out, has seen  _you._ "   
  
Kotetsu swallowed. "That's too convenient."    
  
Izumo sighed. "Put your suspicious nature aside for a moment, Tetsu. He's nice. He asked me what you like."   
  
"He did?" Kotetsu's eyebrows went up again.   
  
"Yes. Now, come on, before they get lunch without us." Izumo said, dragging a now-blushing Tetsu over to the other two. "Hagane Kotetsu, Narita Kenji." Izumo stepped back.   
  
"Hi." Kotetsu said, his color getting worse.   
  
Kenji grinned. "Hi. Let's get in line before it gets too bad." He suggested and Hayate and Izumo went ahead to give them a bit of privacy.    
  
Izumo grinned up at Hayate. "Thanks," he said and they took each other's hands as they got in line.   
  
  
Izumo ended up having to literally drag Kotetsu away from Kenji and to class after lunch. They shared history with Hayate and the three of them sat together in the back. Hayate was grilled about Kenji for the better part of the hour and by the time they were done, Izumo was ready to scream.   
  
He was glad Kotetsu had someone to talk about and be occupied with, but Izumo missed most of the lecture. Chemistry was almost as bad, but finally, they were in gym class. At least there wasn't a lecture there.   
  
But when they went to change, Izumo found he was nervous. Normally, he didn't even think about dropping his jeans and stuff and putting on his gym clothes. But Hayate was there this time and he was torn between worrying about what his own body looked like and stealing glances at Hayate. The glances at Hayate won, but it caused a new problem.   
  
And gym shorts didn't contain erections very well.    
  
He was so worried about that, he didn't notice at first that Hayate seemed to have the same problem. It wasn't until Kotetsu leaned in and mentioned he might consider wearing a jock strap for class from then on that he realized it. And that Tetsu was talking to  _both_  of them.    
  
Hayate and Izumo stared at each other for a tense moment, then Yate leaned in. "Well, I guess we don't have to wonder if we like the other's body."   
  
Izumo nearly choked, but the laughter at least helped him calm down a little. He spent the rest of gym class trying desperately to ignore his boyfriend. It didn't help and he ended up taking a very cold and very useless shower at the end. He wasn't remotely comfortable until he was back in his regular clothes. The uniform pants weren't  _great_  but they beat the shorts, at least.   
  
"Can this day be over yet?" He grouched as they left the gym.    
  
Hayate laughed. "I know how you feel, Zumo, I really do."    
  
"Hey look, it's the fags!" Someone called and Izumo turned to stare at Hayate, his color draining completely.   
  
Hayate's jaw clenched and he looked around to find whoever said it. Kotetsu's fists were balled and that's when Kenji came up. "What's going on?" He asked in confusion.   
  
"A small-minded individual felt the need to express his limited intelligence," Izumo said through gritted teeth.   
  
Hayate laughed, diffusing the situation. "Well said, babe, well said." He grabbed Izumo's hand and headed toward the lockers. "I've got to pick up a few books at my locker," he said. He glanced around, found what he was looking for then leaned in and dropped a kiss on Izumo's temple. "I'll meet you at yours in a few."   
  
"Okay," Izumo said, stunned.  _Babe?_ _And... he kissed me in front of everyone!_  He shook his head to clear it and caught Kotetsu's amused look.    
  
"Let's get our books. We have better things to do than worry about assholes like that." Kotetsu said.   
  
"Here, here." Kenji added and followed behind them. Izumo caught out of the corner of his eye the finger Kenji lifted as they passed the jerk and he smiled.   
  
They piled into the Jeep and headed to Izumo and Kotetsu's for homework. They didn't get as much done as they should have, mostly because Izumo spent half the time poking Kotetsu to actually  _work_  and stop  _yakking_ . Though, he was just as guilty when it came to Hayate. They kept stopping to talk or kiss each other, too. That was until both Kotetsu and Kenji made gagging noises. Both Hayate and Izumo rolled their eyes, but kept their touches to hand holding under the table.   
  
As Kenji and Hayate were getting ready to go, Hayate pulled Izumo aside. "I refuse to get gagged at for this," he said with amusement. He glanced over at the other two, but they were involved in a heated discussion about dwarves. With a chuckle, he turned back to Izumo. "So, I was thinking we might do a double date thing on Friday with them. Kenji's like you two. He has a license, but no car. What do you think?"   
  
Izumo nodded. "I think that's a great idea. I just hope…" he trailed off and cursed himself for blushing. Again.   
  
"What's that?" Hayate asked, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend.   
  
Izumo sighed at himself. "Just kind of hope to get some time alone with you." As soon as it was out, he bit his lip.   
  
Hayate chuckled, then bent and pulled the bitten lip between his own. Izumo moaned into the kiss. Hayate's tongue slid into Izumo's mouth and they lost themselves in the movement of mouths and lips and tongues. He pulled back with effort. "I want time alone with you, too," he whispered. "We'll find some," he promised. He leaned into Izumo, pushing him into the side of the porch, their bodies crushed together. "God…" he moaned again then dove in for another kiss.   
  
Izumo's arms wound around Hayate's waist and his hands trailed down to that incredible ass. Izumo squeezed it gently, pulling him in even tighter. "Want more of you…" Izumo whispered and Hayate gave an agreeing groan. He rocked into Izumo and both felt the other's want very obviously against their own.    
  
"Ahem." Kotetsu's voice floated through, but neither paid attention at first. The kisses deepened, the rocking became a bit more urgent. "Uh, guys?" Kotetsu said and glanced over at Kenji, who grinned back and shook his head.   
  
"Hayate! Izumo!" Kenji nearly shouted and they jumped apart. Izumo's hand slammed onto his chest.   
  
"Fuck!" He shouted and Kotetsu winced. He threw an apologetic look at his friend. "Don't  _scare_  me like that."   
  
Hayate hadn't missed the wince or the look, but he shoved it aside. He looked back at his boyfriend. "I guess we do need to go." He sighed then bent and gave Izumo another kiss long kiss earning them more gagging. "See you tomorrow." He grinned.   
  
"See you." Izumo said and they both watched as Hayate and Kenji got into the Jeep and drove away.   
  
"Is it Friday yet?" Kotetsu asked and Izumo laughed.   
  
"No. Not yet." Izumo said with a sigh. "Not by a long shot."   
  
  
  
Surprisingly, however, Friday did show up pretty quickly when they spent the week hanging out together. They got into something of a routine, spending lunch and the classes they could sitting together. Hayate appeared most of the time between classes at Izumo's rooms and they walked together between classes. The four of them did homework together after school and invariably Izumo and Hayate got distracted with each other toward the end of the afternoon.    
  
With the other two present, they didn't get to be  _alone_  but they took what they could get. There was plenty of kissing and touching so that by Friday, they were both close to being basket cases.    
  
Izumo had been so wrapped up in Hayate, that he hadn't really noticed that Kotetsu and Kenji hadn't even so much as kissed yet. It wasn't until they were getting ready for their double date on Friday that the subject came up.   
  
"So, how does he kiss?" Izumo asked, pulling the hairbrush through the tangles.   
  
Kotetsu raised an eyebrow at him while he worked on his spikes. "Uh, who?"   
  
Izumo blinked. "How many people have you kissed?"   
  
"Um… let me think… one." Kotetsu said, staring at Izumo.   
  
Izumo turned his head. "Wait. You haven't kissed Kenji yet?"   
  
Kotetsu shook his head. "No. We just… haven't really had the opportunity." He blushed. "I hope he does tonight, though." He turned his attention back to the mirror and messed with his spikes a little more. "And maybe more," he muttered.   
  
Izumo blinked again. "Wow. Well. Um… I hope so, too…" But strangely, Izumo wasn't sure what he was hoping for. He found himself just a tiny bit glad that he was still the only person Kotetsu had ever kissed. He shoved that away. That was silly. Tetsu wasn't  _his_  only kiss. It wasn't right.   
  
The knock on the door came a few minutes later and Kotetsu and Izumo grinned at each other. "It's your boyfriend," they said at the same time and laughed, then scrambled to be the first one at the door.   
  
They, of course, got there at the same time and were wrestling over the door handle when Izumo's mother pushed them both aside and opened it for them. "BOYS! Your dates are here!" She said wickedly and they looked up in embarrassment at both Kenji and Hayate, who were grinning.    
  
Kotetsu and Izumo both blushed. "Um, Hi." Izumo said and slid out of the door toward Hayate who took his hand and immediately dropped a kiss on him. Izumo's blush faded.   
  
"Hi, Kenji," Kotetsu said, his color getting darker.   
  
Kenji's grin widened. "Hi yourself," he said and took Tetsu's hand as Kotetsu stepped out the door.   
  
"Eleven boys, don't forget." Izumo's mother said and Kotetsu and Izumo both nodded.   
  
"I'll have them here on time," Hayate promised.   
  
"I know you will, Yate." She glanced from one boy to the next. "Be safe," she said and three faces turned red. Kenji cast a puzzled look at the others, but Hayate just waved a hand.  _Later._   
  
When they were settled into the jeep, Kenji and Kotetsu in the back holding hands and Izumo and Hayate in the front, Yate looked in the rearview. "The first day I was over here, poor Zumo got pulled into the kitchen for a safe sex talk."   
  
"Oh geez. In front of you?" Kenji asked, casting an empathetic look at Izumo.   
  
"Not exactly, but he was so embarrassed, he was still bright red when he came out. So we all now know that when she says that, she's not talking about my driving." Hayate said with a chuckle. He glanced at his boyfriend and squeezed his hand. Izumo was still blushing. When they stopped at the next light, he leaned over and dropped a kiss on Izumo.   
  
"No wonder he turned so red." Kenji shook his head and turned to Kotetsu. "She talk to you?"   
  
Tetsu shook his head. "No. For one, the main thing that spawned it was that she saw Zumo and Yate kissing. She hasn't seen me kissing anyone yet. And for the other, she knew that Zumo would say something to me."   
  
"I'm still mad he got out of it. He should have to die of embarrassment, too." Izumo grumbled from the front seat and they all laughed.   
  
  
  
Kotetsu sat back in the booth and stared as Izumo and Hayate fed each other. He was feeling distinctly green around the edges. He glanced at his date. "Are you getting as nauseous as I am?"   
  
Kenji chuckled. "Yeah, they're a bit much, aren't they?" He turned toward Kotetsu. "Or, we could ignore them altogether."   
  
"Oh?" Kotetsu asked, turning his attention to Kenji. The guy was  _hot_  as far as Kotetsu was concerned. Kenji took martial arts like Tetsu and Izumo did but at a different dojo. He made a comment about switching, though. Something about not being happy with the one he was at, but Kotetsu thought that maybe it was because of him. He was hoping, anyway.   
  
He was built, his chest was nicely defined, he was a bit taller than Tetsu and that hair was something else. He'd found himself playing with it on more than one occasion when they'd finished their homework and were sitting and watching TV. Kenji had taken up the spot on the floor in front of Tetu's chair, leaning back against him and Tetsu had taken the opportunity to play with it. Kenji had pulled the hair tie out and shook it out like he'd been tired of it up, but Kotetsu wondered if it wasn't more to get Tetsu to play with it. Tetsu didn't care, he just loved doing it.   
  
And then there were the hazel eyes. They were so gorgeous, it made Kotetsu want to just get lost in them. He shook his head a himself.    
  
Kenji leaned in a little. "Yeah. Like, maybe instead of getting sick watching them, we could…" he started and held up a piece of the sweet and sour chicken. Kotetsu raised an eyebrow, but leaned forward and nipped the chicken out of Kenji's hand. Kenji grinned.    
  
"Like that?" Kotetsu asked in a quiet voice and Kenji nodded. Tetsu picked up a small piece of broccoli and offered it out and Kenji opened his mouth. When Tetsu put the vegetable into Kenji's mouth, his lips closed around Tetsu's fingers and sucked.   
  
Kotetsu nearly went cross-eyed. He felt Kenji's tongue lick the tiny bit of sauce off of his fingers, then lean back and finished eating the morsel of food.   
  
Both couples lost themselves in each other for the better part of the evening, feeding and chatting. Feeding each other took  _much_  longer than they would have if they'd just fed themselves and the waitress eventually got annoyed with them taking up her booth for so long and made some very pointed comments. By the time they paid the bill, they realized they'd missed the movie.   
  
So, instead, they drove up to one of the bay overlooks. Hayate grabbed the sleeping bags he kept in the back of the Jeep and gave one to Kenji and Kotetsu. He pulled Izumo with him onto one of the picnic tables. Izumo settled into Hayate, sitting between his legs and Yate wrapped the open bag around them. They didn't say anything, simply started kissing.   
  
Kotetsu and Kenji took the other picnic table. Kenji pulled Kotetsu up to sit the same way Izumo did and after they got the sleeping bag in place they simply looked out over the water for a few minutes. Kotetsu was beginning to wonder if maybe Kenji didn't really want him when his date spoke.   
  
"I've been trying to find a way to approach you all week. I didn't want to push, knowing you haven't had a boyfriend before, but I've been wanting to kiss you." Kenji said in Tetsu's ear and Kotetsu closed his eyes in relief. "So, I…" he started, but Tetsu didn't give him a chance to finish. He turned, buried his fingers in that long soft hair and pulled him down into a kiss.   
  
Kenji wasted no time. He deepened the kiss quickly, their tongues battling as it heated. When they broke apart briefly, Kotetsu took a deep breath. "I was beginning to think maybe you were trying to figure out how to tell me you weren't interested."   
  
"Oh hell no." Kenji's hand threaded through the spikes and pulled gently. He'd discovered rather accidentally earlier in the week that Tetsu liked his hair pulled and he shamelessly used that now. Tetsu moaned softly in reaction. "I just didn't want to freak you out. I want you, Tetsu. Badly."   
  
Another soft moan was loosed at the words and their lips crashed together again. Hands went everywhere, pulling hair, touching, stroking and grabbing at clothes and before long, both were incredibly aroused and nearly desperate. Kotetsu cupped Kenji's cock through his jeans and rubbed at it while the hand not buried in the spikes was busy unbuttoning Tetsu's own jeans.    
  
At the other picnic table Izumo and Hayate were just as busy. Izumo's cock was already in Hayate's hand and the taller was stroking it slowly. "Fuck, Yate, you're driving me crazy." Izumo whispered into Hayate's neck.    
  
Hayate chuckled. "I like you this kind of crazy," he murmured into Izumo's ear and tightened his fingers around Izumo's dick just a little. One of Izumo's hands was buried inside Hayate's jeans and underwear, working his boyfriend's cock over, too.   
  
"Hayate…" Izumo started, then paused and bit his lip.   
  
"What's that, babe?" Hayate asked, adding a twist to his upward stroke and nipping at Izumo's ear, earning himself another moan.   
  
"You make it impossible to think clearly," Izumo grumbled and Hayate chuckled. Their lips crashed together again for another thorough kiss. Touches got more urgent and Izumo managed to move Hayate's clothes aside and out of his way. He took his boyfriend's cock in his hand and started stroking with more purpose.   
  
"Oh fuck, Zumo…" Hayate moaned, his breath getting shorter. "Nng… God, that's…"    
  
"Oh fuck. Yate," Izumo said and it was only the slightly panicked tone of voice that got through.   
  
"Zumo?" Hayate looked over his shoulder in the direction Izumo was. "Shit! Kenji! Kotetsu!" Hayate called and the other two sat up quickly. "Car!"   
  
The four of them scrambled around to put themselves back together enough and hurried over to the Jeep. They all watched with baited breath as the car slowed, but kept going. A collected sigh of relief was released when it passed completely.   
  
Not a moment later, the noises from the back seat started up again and could not be mistaken. Hayate and Izumo stared at each other then glanced in the back seat. They'd thrown the open sleeping back over themselves and gone back to what they'd been doing when they'd been interrupted.   
  
Hayate snorted. "They don't get the right to gag anymore," he chuckled, then glanced at the clock. "Damn. It's too late to get to the nature preserve."   
  
Izumo groaned and flopped his head back against the seat. He was still hard as a rock, his body still on fire, nerves still on edge. Hayate considered him a moment, then reached back and smacked at whoever he could reach. "Scoot over to the passenger's side," he warned them then pushed his seat back. He made a "come here" gesture and Izumo climbed over the stick and settled himself onto Hayate's lap as well as he could around the steering wheel.   
  
"Not as comfortable, but I can't let you go tonight," Hayate whispered. "Need more of you." Izumo made an agreeing moan, grabbing onto Hayate's sweater.   
  
Yate pulled Izumo in for another kiss and had his pants open almost immediately. Izumo fought with Hayate's and a moment later, they were right back where they'd been when they'd scrambled for the jeep, hands stroking each other's cocks and lips fused.   
  
Kotetsu groaned softly when Kenji pulled on his spikes again. Their mouths met again and the kiss was sloppy as their hands grabbed at each other. Kenji was on top of him, their hard cocks rubbing against each other, eased by a generous amount of spit and pre-cum. Tetsu grabbed Kenji's butt again and squeezed, pulling him in closer and Kenji rocked again and started pumping his hips faster.   
  
"Oh fuck, Kenji," Kotetsu groaned and Kenji's answering moan was almost as loud.   
  
"God, Tetsu… going to… so close…" Kenji moaned and the sounds made Tetsu crazy.   
  
"Yes, Kenji, fuck, yeah…" Kotetsu moved his hips, thrusting up to meet Kenji's and he could feel his own balls tightening. "Yes, oh God, yes…" His words dissolved into grunts the closer he got.    
  
A moment later, Kenji moaned out a "Tetsu" in Kotetsu's ear, he felt Kenji tense and the warmth spill over his own cock. Then Kenji's hand gripped him and started pumping. A few strokes later, he bit down on Kenji's shoulder to muffle his shout and came hard.    
  
The sounds from the back seat only succeeded in spurring the other two on. Hayate lifted Izumo and turned him until he was straddling the taller's hips. He tilted the seat back just a little and wrapped one spit-covered hand around both of their cocks. He started stroking them quickly and Izumo buried his face in Hayate's neck. "Yate…" he warned, incapable of more.   
  
"Yes, Zumo, God, yes, come…" was the answering moan. Their hips moved, hands tightened, the sounds in the back getting louder and pushing them even closer.    
  
Izumo heard Tetsu's orgasm and it sent him over the edge. "YATE!" He shouted into Hayate's sweater, his orgasm hitting him hard and spilling his cum over his boyfriend's hand.   
  
"Unh…" Hayate groaned, using Izumo's cum to ease their combined hands as they moved them over his cock. "So close, so fucking close, Zumo…"   
  
"Oh fuck, Yate, that's it, come for me, let me feel your hot cum, baby…" Izumo moaned into Hayate's ear.   
  
"Oh  _God_  yes, talk to me more, Zumo…" Hayate nearly begged.   
  
"Fuck baby…" Izumo thought quickly. "If we were alone, I'd suck that thick cock of yours into my mouth, baby, and work it until you come down my throat…" he said in Hayate's ear and Hayate's surprised shout of Izumo's name was loud in the car. He snapped his hips into their hands once more, spilling himself over their fists.   
  
All four of them were quiet except for their loud pants as they tried to calm down. The jeep smelled badly of sex, but none of them cared at the moment. They were too busy being surprised by the volume of the shout.    
  
Hayate was stunned at what Izumo had said and Izumo was equally as stunned that he'd said it. He'd wanted to taste Hayate, wanted to go down on him, there was no question about that, but he'd never considered actually  _saying_ something like that. Much less the  _way_  he'd said it.   
  
He buried his face in Hayate's shoulder, knowing it was as red as a tomato. "Babe?" Hayate asked.   
  
Izumo just shook his head, keeping his face buried. Hayate ran his hands over Izumo's back to try to soothe him. "Babe, it's okay. God that was hot. It was what you said that sent me over the edge, you know," he whispered into Izumo's ears.   
  
Izumo swallowed, then lifted his face and looked up at Hayate. "You… I mean, it was…" he trailed off, still unable to talk.   
  
"Zumo…" Hayate pulled Izumo's face to his and kissed him, putting his assurances into the kiss. "I liked that. A lot. I'd say you could talk to me like that anytime, and that's true for the most part, just… not in gym class."   
  
Despite his embarrassment, Izumo laughed. He laid his head back onto Hayate's shoulder and Yate's arms tightened around him.    
  
Kotetsu tightened his arms around Kenji, his mind a mess. The things Izumo had said to Hayate had both turned him on and pissed him off. He didn't get the pissing him off part. He got the turn on part, though. Zumo's voice and his talent with words had  _always_  turned him on. He shook it off mentally and turned to Kenji when his boyfriend started kissing him again.   
  
"You okay, Tetsu?" Kenji asked and Kotetsu nodded.    
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry." He said, quietly.    
  
"Don't be. I can't say that this would have been the preferred place for us to do something like this for the first time." He chuckled and Kotetsu chuckled with him.   
  
"I suppose it could be worse," Kotetsu said.   
  
"Yes," Kenji agreed, dropping another kiss on Kotetsu and Tetsu gave his full attention back to his boyfriend.   
  
The four in the jeep fell into silence until it was time for them to get back home. Kotetsu and Izumo were on their porch just a few minutes before eleven, both of their boyfriends wrapped around them. Kisses were exchanged, plans made for the next day and good nights said.   
  
After Kotetsu and Izumo made their way into their bedroom and changed into their pajamas, they stopped. "Are you okay with me sleeping next to you?" Izumo asked.   
  
Kotetsu gave him a puzzled look. "Of course I am," he said, "why wouldn't I be?"    
  
Izumo blinked. "Kenji?"   
  
"Oh." Kotetsu said and paused. "No, I think you're right. We wouldn't want to do… other stuff, but just sleeping, you know… what we've done the last week… that would be fine."   
  
Izumo nodded and they settled in to sleep.   
  
  
  
Saturday dawned rainy and gray. A wet trip to the dojo was taken then they settled in for another movie marathon. This time, it was Star Trek instead of Star Wars.    
  
"Now, see, I don't get the fascination with Shatner." Izumo said from the couch. He was curled up in Hayate's arms, a big blanket tucked around them.   
  
"Me either," Kotetsu said around a handful of popcorn. Kenji stole a piece from his hand, earning a nip and laughter from Kotetsu. This quickly devolved in a long kiss. They were sprawled together on the floor on a bunch of blankets. "I'm more of a Spock kind of guy. All lean and long, narrow faces. It'd be better if he had long hair," he said when he pulled back from Kenji, and crunched on more popcorn. Kenji grinned and dropped a kiss on Kotetsu's head, knowing Tetsu had no idea he'd just described his own boyfriend.   
  
"I like 'em tall," Izumo agreed. "But dark hair. Shaggy and, well, not  _short_  but not really long, either." He ran his fingers through Hayate's hair. He  _knew_  what  _he_ was saying. He grinned up at Hayate who bent and kissed him.    
  
"Uh uh," Hayate disagreed. "A little shorter than me. Brown hair, brown eyes. Let's see… if McCoy wasn't so old, he wouldn't be too bad."    
  
"No one there that interests me," Kenji said. "None of them have spiky hair."   
  
Kotetsu snorted and threw a piece of popcorn at his boyfriend. "Kiss ass."   
  
"I'll kiss your ass," Kenji grinned. "Roll over."   
  
Koetsu snorted again, but leaned in and planted another on Kenji's lips, which they got lost in. This sparked another long and involved kiss between Hayate and Izumo. They were interrupted by a throat clearing. "If you lovebirds are interested, I'm planning to order pizza for dinner."   
  
Four boys jumped apart guiltily, though they all knew she was well aware of their kissing. "That would be…" Izumo paused to clear his throat.   
  
"Great, Mom," Kotetsu finished for him. They glanced at each other then back at their mom.   
  
"Toppings?" She asked.   
  
There was a flurry of discussion about toppings and Izumo ordered for him and Hayate and to everyone's surprise (except Kotetsu himself), Tetsu ordered for him and Kenji. Kenji grinned again at the fact that Tetsu had paid so much attention and there in front of their mom, kissed him again. This got another bright blush from Tetsu.   
  
They'd opted to stay in that night, the rain having not let up at all. So, when eleven o'clock came around, Hayate and Kenji dragged themselves to their feet and helped clean up. Final long and thorough kisses were exchanged, weather bemoaned and plans made. If the rain let up, they were going to the preserve the next day to hike to get away from people and prying eyes and just be alone.   
  
Izumo and Kotetsu never even talked about it. When they'd changed into pajamas, they curled up together and passed out pretty quickly. And slept like the dead. Unfortunately, they would also end up sleeping late.   
  
  
  
Someone was pounding. Izumo couldn't figure it out at first until he opened his eyes and stared at the bottom of his bunk. Oh. Someone was knocking on the door.   
  
He rolled out of bed and glanced at the clock. Crap, they were running late. A quick glance out the window showed that the rain had, indeed, let up and they'd be going hiking. "Tetsu, get up," Izumo poked at his friend who groaned.   
  
"Wha?" Tetsu said, rubbing his eyes.   
  
"Get up. We're late. Kenji and Hayate are going to be here any time. That might be them, now." He said. And just as he did, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Yawning, Izumo stumbled across the room and opened the door.   
  
He let out a very  _un_ manly squeak when he saw Hayate standing in the hallway. He slapped a hand over his morning-breath mouth, but it couldn't hide the grin. "Hey, baby!"    
  
"Hi," Hayate said with a warm grin and glanced into the room, then stopped, the grin fading and a look of horror coming over his face. Kenji was standing next to him, and he, too, stared into the room.   
  
Izumo looked around, puzzled, wondering if there was something out of place, but nothing, at first, registered.   
  
"Zumo?" Hayate asked and the tone of his voice set off alarms.    
  
Izumo paused and looked at the room again from  _Hayate_ ' _s_  perspective and gasped, then swallowed hard. He saw the bunk beds with the top bunk made. He saw himself and Tetsu in their pajamas, rumpled and obviously  _right_ out of bed and he saw the two pillows each with its own indentation on the bottom, messy bunk. "Yate…" Izumo started, "this isn't what you think."   
  
"It's never what you think," he answered shortly and turned around.   
  
"Yate, wait!" Izumo called, going after him. He didn't hear the conversation between Kenji and Kotetsu, he was too busy chasing after Hayate.   
  
He caught up to him at the front door. "Hayate, wait," he said, nearly desperate now. "Please, listen to me."   
  
"Listen? I should have  _known_  that something was up between you two! But… God, did you have to bring me into it? I  _loved_  you, Izumo! Fuck, I still do!" He turned around, but Izumo tugged on his arm again.   
  
"Yate? You… love me?" Izumo asked, dumbstruck.   
  
"What difference does it make? You obviously love  _him_ ." He said, pointing a finger behind Izumo. Izumo glanced over his shoulder to see a shocked Kotetsu standing in the hall.   
  
"Wait, no. I mean, Hayate, wait! If you'd just  _listen…_ " Izumo nearly begged. He didn't notice the tears that had started to fall. He turned to Kenji, "Kenji, listen. This isn't what he thinks it is."   
  
"Right. It's not. You two  _fucked_  each other behind our backs," Kenji hissed.   
  
"NO!" Izumo looked from Hayate to Kenji and back again, concentrating on his own boyfriend. "NO! We didn't. Dammit, listen!"   
  
But Hayate was just shaking his head. "I don't need to hear it, Izumo." He spun on his heel and started to walk away.   
  
"GOD DAMMIT!" Izumo shouted half way between anger and pain. "Don't do this, Yate! Please!"   
  
Hayate spun back around and for one brief moment, Izumo thought he was going to listen, he was going to agree. He stopped in front of Izumo. "No,  _you_  listen," he said, very quietly. " _You_  did it, not me. You slept with  _him_ ! I hope you're happy together!" He turned around and headed to his Jeep. Kenji threw one last hurt look at Kotetsu and followed. A moment later, the jeep was gone.   
  
Izumo sat hard in the doorway, staring at the spot the jeep had been parked. Now what?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: ANGST! And lots of it! You've been warned!

Kotetsu stared at Izumo's bowed and shaking back. He wanted to chase the damned jeep down and punch them. Both of them. He was pissed at Kenji for not even listening, but he'd deal with his own boyfriend later. He was more pissed at Hayate and wanted to shake the guy and  _make_ him listen.   
  
But for one thing, he had a feeling Hayate simply wouldn't hear anything, at least not yet.   
  
And for another, Kotetsu had a bigger problem, in the form of a hurting best friend. Which only made him want to punch Hayate more. Visions of black and blue eyes and bloody noses flashed through his head, but he forcibly shoved them aside.   
  
He approached Izumo carefully and squatted next to him. "Zumo?" He started, reaching a hand out and laying his fingertips lightly on Izumo's shoulder.   
  
Izumo spun as if he'd been released from someone's hold and launched himself at Kotetsu. He wrapped his arms around his best friend, hiding his face in Tetsu's stomach. Kotetsu hugged him, stunned and at a loss for what to do.   
  
Izumo was always the one there for him, comforting him.  _Zumo_  always held and soothed, not the other way around. Kotetsu had no idea how to handle this.   
  
"How  _could_  he?" Izumo said into Tetsu's stomach. "He wouldn't even talk! He wouldn't listen!" Izumo hiccoughed, his body shuddering harder. "And why did he have to tell me he loved me?  _Why_ ?" The shuddering increased and turned into trembling.   
  
Kotetsu let Izumo go, let the other boy rant and cry, running his hands over Izumo's back. He noticed his own hands were shaking, but he didn't know if it was in rage, hurt or a combination of the two.   
  
He glanced out the door and saw the neighborhood gossip staring into the house. "Come on, Zumo, let's not do this here," he said quietly and stood, pulling his friend with him. Izumo followed docilely, tears still streaking down his face.   
  
Their mom stepped out from the kitchen, a frown marring her features. "Can I do anything?"   
  
Kotetsu shook his head. "Not now, Mom, thanks," he replied, his voice low. She nodded and he steered Izumo back down the hall and through their door. He got his friend across the room then pulled Zumo onto the bunk with him. Izumo curled into him, head to Tetsu's chest, tears wetting the bare skin. Kotetsu yanked the blanket up over them, wrapped his arms around his friend and just held on.   
  
He made quiet soothing noises, nonsense sounds, and rubbed his hand over Izumo's back then smoothed the russet hair out of the wet face. He dropped light kisses on Zumo's temple and head, doing the things Izumo used to do to him to help calm him down after his nightmares.   
  
He had no idea how long they lay there, but eventually, Izumo's shaking stopped and he lay still and quiet in Kotetsu's arms. "He's a bastard," Izumo's low, miserable voice was rough.   
  
"Yes," Kotetsu whispered, running his hand over Izumo's hair again.   
  
"He wouldn't even listen," Izumo grumbled, a hiccup escaping.   
  
"No, he wouldn't," Kotetsu agreed, his arms tightening a tiny bit.   
  
Izumo looked up finally, his tear-stained face only making Kotetsu that much more frustrated. If they'd done something, that would have been one thing, then Hayate and Kenji would have been right to be pissed. But they hadn't, not that Kotetsu hadn't  _thought_  about having sex with Izumo. He could admit that he wanted his friend, would happily have done way more than they ever had before. But that was before they had boyfriends.   
  
No, they  _hadn't_  done anything. They'd both done nothing but sleep. They'd been very good about that and that's what pissed Tetsu off more than anything.   
  
Kotetsu shoved his own anger into a box to deal with later. He leaned down and kissed Izumo gently on his forehead and cheeks, wiping the tears away the best he could. "He doesn't deserve you," Kotetsu said fiercely and it made Izumo smile.   
  
"Thanks," Zumo said sniffling and looked up at his best friend again. Tetsu leaned in and dropped a light kiss on Izumo's lips. Neither of them registered when it shifted right into a not-so-light kiss, their lips opening and tongues tasting and sliding, mutually needy.   
  
  
  
They pulled back from the kiss, their breathing erratic and hearts pounding. They stared at each other, both expressions unreadable to the other. Izumo swallowed hard and curled back into Tetsu, tucking his head under Tetsu's chin. He wondered that he never seemed to be able to resist Kotetsu, that he was always tempted by his best friend. No matter what it was, he had to consciously think and force himself to pull back. He tried not to think about it, tried to just concentrate on what had happened that morning.   
  
He should have told Hayate before this, should have said something instead of letting him find out the way that he did. But it wasn't his place to explain what Tetsu's nightmares were, and he didn't know how he'd make clear just how bad they were without giving it all away.   
  
It didn't matter now; Hayate didn't want to see him anymore. Another sharp pain lanced through him near physical in its intensity and he bit down on his lip, trying to ignore it as more annoying tears spilled down his cheeks.   
  
He felt Tetsu's hands rubbing his back and he closed his eyes concentrating simply on that, on the feel of Tetsu's palms on his skin. He couldn't believe how much this _hurt_ . He'd only been going out with Hayate for just over a week.  _You've liked him for a lot longer than that,_  he reminded himself.   
  
And then there was the fact that he was the first person he'd done anything sexual with besides Kotetsu. He swallowed hard and looked back up into the face of his best friend as the thought slid into his brain. His best friend. Tetsu. The one that had been there for him through everything. Befriended him, defended him, protected him.   
  
He placed another small kiss on Tetsu's lips. "Thank you," he whispered and he saw Tetsu's eyes flash before his friend regained control. Izumo wondered at it for the shortest of seconds then registered what he felt on the leg he had wedged against Tetsu's groin.   
  
He felt his own body respond, swiftly and completely. His heartbeat sped up, his breathing shortened, his skin sensitized. And his cock hardened impossibly. He closed his eyes, trying desperately to calm himself down. He shouldn't do this, it wasn't right! _  
  
Why?_  His body asked.  _Why shouldn't you? Why not?_   
  
Izumo stopped. Why would it matter now? Hayate wasn't his boyfriend anymore! His heart shied away from the newest jab at that thought. But he wasn't! And Kotetsu and Kenji weren't together. So… why  _did_ it matter? _  
  
It doesn't._  He answered himself. He shoved the pain that thought caused to the back of his mind and he swallowed again, looking back up at his friend.   
  
He could feel Tetsu's body respond to the decision in his own eyes. He heard the hitch in breathing, felt the heartbeat speed up under his hand, and felt the cock twitch against his leg. Tetsu's hands flexed, the one in tangled in his hair pulling slightly.   
  
He leaned up and kissed his best friend once more and this time, the intention was clear. This time, neither of them held back. Tongues danced, lips devoured and the kiss heated quickly. He felt Tetsu's hand move to his ass and pull him in, their hard cocks rubbing against each other.   
  
A moan bubbled up in Izumo's throat and he rocked into Tetsu again. Tetsu answered with a low groan and rolled them so that Izumo was on top. The added weight ground Zumo into Tetsu harder and they both gasped.   
  
"Fuck, Tetsu," Izumo hissed, rocking his hips again. He tried to calm himself just a little, wanted to,  _needed_  to find some sanity. He bent instead to nip at his friend's lips, sucking the bottom one between his teeth. He bit down slightly, drawing a bead of blood and a louder moan from his friend.   
  
He pulled back and licked lightly at the wound then their lips fused again. Tetsu's hands snaked under the waistband of Zumo's pants and bare hands cupped the firm globes of Zumo's ass. He squeezed again and Izumo let another of those low sounds of need slip out.   
  
Izumo reached up with one hand and threaded it through the shaggy black mass. He dove in again for another taste and tugged on the hair, tilting Tetsu's head for him before attacking once more.   
  
"Fuck, Zumo, oh  _God_  more…" Tetsu moaned when Izumo pulled back.   
  
Izumo released Tetsu's hair and braced himself up on one arm. He reached between them and into Tetsu's boxers, wrapping his hand around the hard flesh and stroking it. They dove in again for another kiss, this one even hotter and very sloppy. "Fuck, more, want… to feel you…" Tetsu groaned and Izumo pulled back.   
  
He stared at his friend who stared back at him. Time froze, there was no mistaking what he meant. Izumo wanted it,  _God,_ he wanted it, needed it, even in that moment, but he had to be sure he knew what Tetsu was saying. "Tetsu…" He swallowed hard. "Do… you mean…"   
  
Kotetsu nodded. "Please…" The naked need and want in those dark slanted eyes slammed into Izumo. The near plea caused a tremor to go through him and it took everything in Izumo to just be able to hold his position, much less  _think_ .   
  
Izumo's cock twitched at that need and want in Tetsu's eyes and he hardened even more, if that was possible. And then his body took over the last vestiges of coherent thought.   
  
"Oh  _fuck_ , Tetsu," Izumo groaned and went back to his friend's lips. They fought with each other's clothes - boxers flew and somewhere in there, there was a rip, but neither paid attention. Then they felt skin against skin, hot, hard cock against cock and both let moans out.   
  
Tetsu's hands slid down Izumo's back again, squeezing Izumo's ass once more. He nipped at Zumo's neck, the spot he knew would make the other crazy and he teased it mercilessly. The reward was a long low sound from Izumo's throat and a hand cupping his balls.   
  
Zumo squeezed them gently, teasing the sac then ghosted his fingers back over the sensitive skin behind them. Tetsu's legs spread wide as Izumo's fingers ventured further, one slim digit sliding into the crack of Tetsu's ass. Tetsu shifted, opening himself more and Izumo touched the tight muscles lightly.   
  
The gasp from Tetsu was loud in the room and they pulled back, staring at each other.   
  
Izumo swallowed hard then slid his other hand up under the pillow for the bottle he knew was there. He wrapped his hand around it, gripping it tightly but didn't move at first. Izumo's heart was pounding, his throat was dry and his breath was short. He tried to swallow around his desert-like throat, but his mouth was just as lacking in moisture.   
  
They hovered there for a minute, suspended, and staring. Both of them were insanely aroused, cocks almost painful in their hardness, both nearly desperate in their need, but there was just enough sanity leaking in to give them pause. "Tetsu…" Izumo started.   
  
"Boys?" Their mother called through the door and both of them jumped.   
  
They stared at each other again, eyes wide then scrambled for the blanket. Izumo moved off of Tetsu and lay next to him. Tetsu pulled Izumo tightly back up against him, causing both of them to moan quietly when his cock slipped between Izumo's legs. He rocked once, bringing gasps from both of them then Izumo felt the sharp pants as he brought himself back under control.   
  
Izumo breathed carefully through his nose, forcibly pulling himself together then made sure everything was covered and called out, "yes, Mom?"   
  
She opened the door and peeked in, her face looking miserable. "I'm… sorry for what happened."   
  
"It's… okay, Mom. I mean, it's not your fault," Izumo said, frowning. He swallowed around the lump as Hayate's face floated back into the forefront of his mind.   
  
"It kind of is. I sent them back to make sure you were up. I didn't realize… Well, that you, um…." She trailed off and to Izumo's surprise, his mother blushed and wouldn't look directly at them.   
  
He blinked and glanced down, but thankfully the tent wasn't visible. "Mom?"   
  
"Well, that… you slept together."   
  
Izumo's eyes widened as understanding sunk in. "Um, we do, but Mom that's…  _all_ we do. Is sleep, that is."   
  
She stepped into the room cleared her throat then glanced down, her blush brightening. Tetsu's boxers and his pajama pants were in a pile together right there next to the bed, very obviously having been dropped in a hurry. Izumo's eyes flew from their clothes to her face and back again.   
  
"Oh." She said, uncomfortably. "Well, um are… you… okay? Do… you guys want some pancakes or something?"   
  
Izumo was quite sure his face was bright red. "We're, um, fine, Mom, really. We'll be okay." He glanced over his shoulder at Kotetsu, who nodded.   
  
"Really, we will be." Kotetsu said. His hand tightened on Izumo's hip under the blanket in reassurance. Zumo could still feel Tetsu's hard cock in the small space between his legs, felt it twitch when he shifted uncomfortably from the conversation. "But, if it would make you feel better we won't turn down the pancakes."   
  
She threw a grateful smile at Kotetsu. "I… think I'll go get those started. About, um, twenty minutes, okay?" She asked, sidling out of the room.   
  
"Okay," Izumo said, nodding and their mom escaped, pulling the door tightly closed behind her.   
  
They lay there without moving for a couple of minutes, both of them a little stunned. Tetsu eased back and Izumo rolled onto his back. "Um…" he started, staring at the slats of his bunk. He was actually rather grateful that his erection had started to wane. He glanced over at his friend. "Um... Mom thinks we have sex." He blinked. "With each other."   
  
Kotetsu shook his head. "I have no idea what to say to that."   
  
"Me, either. Especially since we… almost did." Izumo swallowed hard and turned his attention back to the bunk.   
  
"For the record, if she hadn't interrupted us, we'd probably be in the middle of it right now." Kotetsu pointed out.   
  
"TETSU!" Izumo groaned, covering his face.   
  
"What?" Kotetsu asked, genuinely puzzled.   
  
Izumo sighed and dropped his hands, looking over at his friend. "You're right. You're right. You're just so…" he shook his head, letting the comment drop. He took a deep breath and blew it out.   
  
"I guess since we're not going to have sex, we should get up and shower and stuff before the pancakes," Kotetsu said his own sigh coming out with a note of disappointment laced through it.   
  
Izumo closed his eyes a moment, trying to get a grip on his sanity. It was still on vacation somewhere, and obviously unwilling to answer its phone. He gave up and pulled the blanket aside, rolling out of the bunk.   
  
He snatched the pants off the floor and stood with them a moment, staring at himself in the mirror on the wall over their dresser. Thoughts of Hayate crashed into him hard and he fought the need to curl into a ball again. He didn't realize he was gripping the fabric in his hands hard enough to tear it until Tetsu came up behind him and pried it out of his hands.   
  
His friend wrapped strong arms around him and just held. He had no idea how Kotetsu knew what was going through his head, no idea how his friend understood so well. He was just glad for it. He turned around in Tetsu's arms and rested his head on the other boy's shoulder, wrapping his arms around Tetsu's waist and burying his face in his friend's neck. "Bastard," he muttered.   
  
"I know, Zumo, I know," Tetsu crooned quietly. He placed more soft kisses on Zumo's temple. "Doesn't deserve you," he said again, hands trailing over Izumo's back.   
  
Izumo took one long shuddering breath. "Thank you." He whispered and Tetsu let him go.   
  
"Take the first shower," he said and pushed Izumo toward the door.   
  
Izumo smiled gratefully at the gesture - they were always fighting over the lion's share of the hot water, and headed to the bathroom. He stood under the hot spray for just a minute and let the water clear some of the cobwebs.   
  
He was a little glad he and Tetsu hadn't managed to go through with it. He needed to try to talk to Hayate yet. He needed to explain what had happened so Hayate knew what was really going on.   
  
If he still didn't understand or still didn't want to be around, well, then Izumo would deal with. But Izumo had to try.   
  
He felt like, if he was going to be dumped, it should at least be for the right reasons.   
  
He shut the water off and hoped Tetsu would have enough for his shower then scrambled to dress quickly. When he got out to the kitchen, his mom gave him a look and he sighed. "I feel like a broken record saying this. It's not what you think."   
  
"I don't know that I want to know, Izumo," his mom said, shaking her head.   
  
Izumo stepped up to the stove and put a hand on his mom's arm. "Look, I was just thinking about this in the shower in regard to Hayate. If you're going to think something, you should at least think the right thing, then you can be disappointed or not. Tetsu and I haven't had sex. Ever." He patently ignored the little voice that reminded him they  _almost_  did. Almost only counted in horseshoes and hand grenades of which this was neither. "We  _sleep_  in the same bunk because of Tetsu's nightmares."   
  
His mom turned from the pan and looked at him. "Oh, I didn't realize he still had them."   
  
"He doesn't. Most of the time. Because I'm on his bunk. But we sleep." He left off the fact that before they had boyfriends, they sometimes did other things. He also shied away from the second reminder in as many minutes of what  _almost_ happened.   
  
She sighed. "I'm sorry. It's not really any of my business." She flipped a couple of the flat discs. "I really don't want to get into that part of your business…" she glanced up at him, "except to make sure you're safe. But…I'm… glad to know about the nightmares and  _sleeping_ . If things work out with Hayate, I'd hate to cause the kind of thing again like I did this morning."   
  
"I… I should have told him, Mom. In fact, I'm still going to try. If he'll talk to me. I hope so." He swallowed hard.   
  
She nodded. "Good. Why don't you try him now?"   
  
Izumo considered it a moment and shrugged. "Yeah, worth a try." He approached the cordless phone on the wall and picked it up. Glancing at his mom who had gone back to flipping pancakes, he dialed the number and held the receiver up to listen.   
  
He didn't realize how tightly he was holding it until he felt the plastic dig into his fingers. He didn't realize how badly he was pressing it into his face until he felt the pain on his jaw and ear. He forced himself to relax and counted the rings. On the fourth ring, a feminine voice answered. "Hello?"   
  
"Hi. Mrs. Gekkou?"   
  
"Yes?" She replied, cautiously.   
  
"Hi. Um, this is Izumo. Um, Kamizuki Izumo, I'm calling for Hayate. Is… Is he there?" Izumo could hear the tremor in his voice.   
  
"OH! Hi, Izumo. Just a minute, let me see if he's back yet." He could hear the questions in her voice. He imagined she knew that they were supposed to be spending the day together. He heard her set the receiver down, could vaguely hear raised voices in the background, then the receiver picking up. "I'm sorry, he's not back yet." She said and he heard the lie in her voice.   
  
He cleared his throat and forced out a "thank you, I'll try back later" before hanging up without a reply from her.   
  
Hayate was avoiding him. As he thought about it, Izumo knew that would happen, but it didn't hurt any less.   
  
He swallowed the tears and took a seat at the table to wait for the pancakes. It was going to be a long day.


	6. Chapter 6

Breakfast had been mostly silent while they ate. Tetsu had tried to call Kenji when he came out, but the other boy wasn't home. They figured Kenji was either with Hayate or simply avoiding Tetsu like Hayate was Izumo.   
  
They forced themselves to work on homework, which ended up taking most of the day because they simply couldn't concentrate. They took turns trying again to call their boyfriends after lunch and once more before dinner, to no avail.   
  
They were seriously considering begging their mom to borrow the car and go over to one or both of their boyfriends' houses when the phone finally rang later that night. Tetsu and Izumo stared at each other while their mom answered it with a quiet, "Hello?"   
  
They waited with baited breath and pounding hearts for the person on the other end to speak. A moment later, Mom looked over at Tetsu. "Yes, just a second," she said and held the receiver out to him.   
  
Tetsu took the phone, his eyes glued to Izumo. "Hello?"   
  
"Kotetsu?" Kenji's voice came through the line, short and still angry.   
  
"This is Tetsu," Kotetsu answered, his voice low and rough. The full version of his name told him plenty, but he forced himself to listen to his boy… former boyfriend's words.   
  
"Stop calling. We don't want to talk to the two of you. We don't want to hear lame excuses, don't want your lies. Tell Izumo to leave Hayate alone." And with that, Kenji hung up.   
  
Kotetsu stared at the lump of plastic in his hands for a long moment, the fast beep of the disconnect harsh in the silent room. He very carefully handed it to his mom, lest he release the violence bubbling under the surface and take it out on the telephone. Mrs. Kamizuki hung it up and stood with a helpless look on her face as her eyes darted from one boy to the other. "Tetsu?" She asked, tentatively.   
  
Kotetsu just shook his head sharply once. He saw the look in Izumo's eye and knew his friend understood the gist of the conversation without needing a recount. "Excuse me," Tetsu said in a daze and headed for the front door. He stepped out into the cold night and leaned against the side of the porch, forcing the frigid air into his lungs.   
  
He stared up at the stars, and from somewhere deep a curse toward the bitch of a biological mother he'd had roiled to the surface. How he  _hated_  her in that moment. If she hadn't tried to sell him to her john, if she'd maybe just chosen a  _different_ john… he closed his eyes and fought the memories.   
  
And lost.   
  
The sagging couch and stained carpet flashed before his eyes and his head shook, trying desperately to deny the images. The greasy hair, tattooed skin and stained teeth. Hot rotten breath on his cheek and in his nostrils, the stench burned forever on his memory. The bruising fingers on his arms, grabbing at his twelve-year-old body, the struggles he gave and curses that flew from his too-old-for-his age mouth. Tetsu's hand gripped the railing in the present hard enough to press dents into the weathered wood.    
  
"No!" He shouted out loud at the man and sanity reasserted itself, just barely. He felt a hand on his back and he sagged in relief as the sharp spring air brought him forcibly back. He turned to Izumo and pulled his friend into his arms. "Fucking bitch!" He growled and Izumo made soothing noises in his throat. "She's going to ruin everything, isn't she?" Kotetsu asked, desperately.   
  
"No, Tetsu, no, we won't let her." Izumo replied, running his hands over shaggy black hair and a back with muscles taut from anger, frustration and remembered pain. "She hasn't ruined us, Tetsu," Izumo reminded him and the arms around Izumo tightened.   
  
"Thank God," Kotetsu whispered. "God, don't… don't ever…"   
  
"No, no," Izumo crooned. "Shhh. I'll always be here for you." Tears dampened Izumo's shirt, but they were ignored. "Always…"   
  
They stayed there on the porch in the chilly night air, Kotetsu fighting for sanity, Izumo petting and soothing until Zumo started shivering, bringing Tetsu more firmly back to himself. He pulled back from his friend and stared down into the single visible brown eye. "Let's go inside, you're cold," he said, voice still thick with tears and anger.   
  
"I'm fine, Tetsu, if you need to stay here…" he started, but Kotetsu shook his head.   
  
"I'm fine, or… I will be. Come on," he said, sounding stronger by the second.   
  
They turned and headed into the house. Kotetsu glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "We should head to bed. School tomorrow."   
  
Izumo made a face. "Yeah, and you have detention in the afternoon, don't you?" He asked, frowning.   
  
"Ugh. Don't remind me." Kotetsu groaned. "Yet another bitch in my life." He shook his head.   
  
"Well, one is already gone and the other will be in a few months," Izumo reminded him and Tetsu smiled.   
  
"Yeah," he said as they turned the corner and started down the hall.   
  
"Night boys!" Their mom called from her room.   
  
"Night!" They called back and took a detour into the bathroom.    
  
"God, what a fucked up day," Tetsu grumbled, pulling open the cabinet to grab the toothpaste. He stopped dead at what he saw.   
  
"I know," Izumo said from next to him, as he turned on the water and grabbed his toothbrush. "Could it have been worse?" Izumo asked then turned to Tetsu. "Tetsu? What's wrong?"   
  
Kotetsu turned from the cabinet and looked at his friend, feeling the color rise in his cheeks. "Um…"    
  
Izumo blinked. "What, Tetsu?"   
  
Kotetsu opened the cabinet door just a little further and saw Izumo's eyes widen. His face paled then the color bloomed on his cheeks. Their eyes met, and Tetsu carefully pushed the cabinet door closed.   
  
"That wasn't what I thought it was, was it?" Izumo asked with a squeak in his voice. "Please, please  _please_  tell me it wasn't…"   
  
"I'm afraid it was. Those… weren't there last night." Kotetsu's voice reflected the shock going through him.   
  
Izumo shook his head. "No, no, neither the box  _nor_  the… bottle was there." He stumbled over his words.   
  
"And… did she have to buy  _both_ ?" Kotetsu asked, his color getting worse. He peered around the door and out into the hallway, but their mom's door was closed.   
  
"How did she know… I mean, did she  _ask_  someone?" Izumo asked, nearly stuttering, color darkening even more.   
  
"I have no idea. God, the thought of her asking someone about… about…" he stopped, unable to say  _gay sex,_ the thought just a little too much for him. "I love our mom, I really do," Kotetsu said, "but this has to be the single most embarrassing thing she's ever done."   
  
"And… geez, if they stay there, she'll think we're not safe and having sex…" Izumo started, his eyes meeting Tetsu's.   
  
"And if we take them, she'll  _know_  we're having sex…" Kotetsu finished.   
  
"Shit." Izumo said, both gazes moving back to the closed cabinet door.   
  
Kotetsu cleared his throat, working to reorient his world just a little bit. "Well, what's… worse? Thinking we are and unsafe?"   
  
"Or thinking we are and safe?" Izumo asked, his eyes still glued to the wood. He raised one hand to his face and started chewing on a single finger.   
  
"Yeah. Um…" Kotetsu turned back to the cabinet and opened it again. They both stared at the box of condoms and ridiculously  _big_ bottle of lube for two full minutes, neither moving a muscle.   
  
"So… take them out," Izumo prompted.   
  
Kotetsu looked over at his best friend, incredulously. "Why me?"   
  
"Cause you're closer," Izumo said, waving a hand toward the offending objects.   
  
Kotetsu solved that problem by stepping around Izumo. "There. Now you're closer."   
  
Izumo rolled his eyes. "Oh, for God's sake," he growled but the ridiculousness of the situation finally got through and effectively broke him from his stupor. He pulled the box and bottle out of the cabinet and set it on the counter next to the sink with a _thunk!_ , then snatched up the toothpaste. He squeezed it onto his toothbrush with a bit more force than was necessary and shoved the tube at Tetsu.   
  
They bushed their teeth in silence, neither having a clue what to say. When they finished and put their brushes away, Izumo stared at the two items for another moment before getting annoyed with himself and grabbing them up with a glance at Kotetsu. His best friend shrugged and they turned and hurried into their room.   
  
Once there, however, he had no idea what to do with them. Even  _if_  he and Tetsu did something, which he wasn't sure he would, they had no need to worry about safe sex. Neither of them had ever been with anyone else. He ended up shoving the condoms into his underwear drawer and throwing the bottle at their bunk.   
  
They changed quickly into pajamas and curled up on Tetsu's bunk without speaking. The bottle got nudged under a pillow and, mostly, ignored.   
  
But neither of them was quite ready to sleep. They lay on their sides and stared at each other for long moments. There was a slight lump under the edge of the pillow between them and both sets of eyes kept straying to it.   
  
All of this succeeded in distracting both of them from the biggest problem of the day. As the silence grew, however, Hayate's face came to the front of Izumo's thoughts again, and he frowned, his throat working as he tried to contain his emotions.    
  
"Don't think about him. He's not worth it, Zumo. You're a hundred times the man he is," Tetsu said, quietly, pulling his friend to him. "You're way better than he is," he whispered, running his hand over his friend's back in an attempt to stave off the tears.   
  
Izumo curled up, tucking his head under Tetsu's chin and accepting the comfort quietly. He fought with the tears, fought the hurt, but in the end they won, anyway. They were silent tears, though, dripping down Izumo's cheeks and onto the muscled chest under his face.    
  
Izumo recognized that there was anger leaking through the hurt. Anger that, though Hayate said he loved Izumo, he wasn't willing to give this person that he supposedly loved a single chance to explain.    
  
Anger that, despite the billion and one times he and Tetsu  _could_  have done something, they didn't. Anger that, after all of that, he'd still held them back. And maybe if his mom hadn't interrupted them, they might have anyway, but they _didn't_ .   
  
It just wasn't fucking fair.   
  
The anger and pain were a potent mix in an already confused mind. Confusion is the name of the game for any teenager. Add in maturity beyond their years, the preferences that aren't part of the "norm", a very attractive best friend, unusual sleeping arrangements and a broken relationship and that mind is just down on its knees begging for trouble. With a very large curly-cued capital "T." In bold. And italics. And underlined. Twice.   
  
So when Izumo pulled back and looked up at his best friend - his very attractive, very hot best friend, the one that thought he was just as hot and attractive right back, it was difficult at best to not react to the heat in those dark slanted eyes. When he was already feeling low and hurt, already confused and frustrated, already angry, it was nearly impossible to not react to the body up against his.   
  
And when he was as tired as he was after the long-ass emotional rollercoaster of a day he'd had, it was no wonder he gave up.    
  
Kotetsu was no better off. He'd found himself in the brand new situation of comforting the comforter. He was just as emotionally volatile, just as confused and crazy after the day that they'd had. So when those brown eyes looked up at him, both of them after the bangs had fallen away, with their own heat and need, it was no wonder that he, too, gave up.   
  
They lay there in a sort of suspended animation. It had to be seconds, couldn't truly have been more than that, but it felt like it could have been counted in seasons instead. The truth of what they both wanted, what they were  _going_  to do was right there between them.   
  
In the form of a not-quite innocuous lump under the edge of the pillow.   
  
Not a muscle twitched, not so much as a harsh breath broke the silence in the room. The quiet hum of the ancient and tiny digital alarm clock could even be heard by the two lying on the bed as they contemplated fate and choices. The headlights of a car skimmed across the off-white plaster ceiling and still the two on the bottom level of the oak bunk beds didn't move.   
  
There was nothing specific that prompted it. No sudden noise, no shifting of eyes or movement of limb. No, nothing in particular started it.    
  
The suspense broke, along with their resolve, and they went from staring at each other to locked lips, tangled limbs, pulling hair and grinding bodies in the space of those few seconds. Izumo's hand went into shaggy black locks and tugged. Kotetsu moaned loudly, lost to the pain and the resulting desire. His cock swelled, he bucked into Izumo and in response, a mouth nipped hard at his throat.   
  
Izumo pulled back, looking at the mark then dove in to tongue over it. Tetsu's hands scratched down Izumo's back, landing on his ass and pulling him in even closer, rubbing their cocks together through the thin fabric of boxers and pajamas.   
  
Another groan was let out, and their mouths crashed back together again. Tongues and teeth, nips and bites, the kiss was anything but gentle or sweet. It was hard, it was demanding and both gave in to those very demands.    
  
Izumo rocked into Kotetsu and Tetsu flipped over onto his back, pulling his friend with him. His legs spread, his hips rocked and Izumo's moan was only muffled by the lips that captured his again at the last second.    
  
"Please, Zumo…" Tetsu begged and his hands slipped under the waistband of Izumo's pants. The warm palms cupped soft skin and if there had been any thoughts of resistance, it was officially gone. Izumo pulled back and shoved his pants down, wiggling around enough to get them off. Kotetsu grabbed at his own waistband, and a moment later, his boxers joined the pants at the bottom of the bed.    
  
Another pause, another suspended moment as the reality of what they were about to do came home to them then Izumo dove in for another of those insane kisses. Hot flesh met from shoulder to toes and both of them released dark sounds of need. One of Tetsu's hands found its way around their straining desperate cocks and stroked them together.   
  
"Fuck, Tetsu…" Izumo hissed, Tetsu's cock jumping at the word. "If you…" he had to pause and gather his wits. "If you do that, I won't manage much else."   
  
Kotetsu let go and his hand went immediately under the pillow. He shoved the bottle at Izumo and spread his legs wider. "Please…" it was the only word that made it out coherently. Cocks rubbed as Izumo struggled with the bottle and both of them panted hard in an effort to find basic oxygen.   
  
"Tetsu… are you sure you want me to…" Izumo managed that much before Kotetsu let out a frustrated groan.   
  
"God, yes,  _now_ !" Was the response and Izumo gave up the last thoughts of sanity. He poured the liquid over his fingers, using way too much, but he didn't care at that point.    
  
He sent up a prayer of thanks for the magazines Tetsu had shown him at the bookstore that gave him just the tiniest of clues and ran his slicked up finger over the tight muscle he finally found. Tetsu's gasp told him he was in the right place and he rubbed the liquid over his friend's entrance. He slowly pushed a finger in, momentarily distracted by the feel of it.   
  
"Holy fuck, Tetsu, that's tight…" Izumo swallowed hard, briefly afraid. He missed the twitch of his friend's cock over his language, he was so distracted. How the hell was it supposed to fit?   
  
"It… fuck, it stretches." Kotetsu moaned as Izumo's finger slid further in and brushed something. Izumo paused and brought the fingertip back to it, gliding the pad back over the slightly smoother spot. "Oh  _fuck_  Zumo…"    
  
Izumo's own dick twitched hard at the word and he forced his attention back to the body under him. He pulled his finger out and added more of the liquid to them then pushed two back into his friend. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what he'd read and seen, but he drew a complete blank. He swallowed around his dry throat and did his best to work his fingers around. Once more he pulled them back and added liquid. Three fingers, this time, he tried and though they went in, Tetsu's tensed.    
  
"Relax," Izumo moaned, "or it'll hurt." He remembered that much, then he paused, stilling. "Unless you want to stop…" Izumo started, but Kotetsu grabbed his free wrist.   
  
"Don't. It burns a little, but… don't please." He sucked in a breath and Izumo watched him close his eyes and a moment later, felt the muscles around Zumo's fingers started to ease.   
  
Izumo pushed them in further, working them around then pulled back again. He looked from his fingers to his own cock and forced himself to ignore his fears. His cock was a  _lot_  bigger than his fingers, but there was nothing for it. He glanced up and saw that Tetsu's own dick was softer and he worried about that, then, too. _  
  
Shit. This is going very bad, very quickly._ Izumo stopped for just a moment to collect himself. It didn't have to, this could still be good for both of them. He took a deep breath then opened his eyes. He flipped the cap on the bottle and made sure he was thoroughly coated, again using more than he needed to. He took some of the excess and wiped it around Tetsu's entrance again, then moved into position.   
  
He wondered briefly if they should try a different position, but the look in Tetsu's eye told him he'd need the eye contact. He lined up, his gaze on his best friend's, took another deep breath and started to push into the tight heat.   
  
"Oh… my…  _God,_  Tetsu!" His eyes slid closed without his permission and his breathing shortened. He hadn't even managed to get past the ring of muscle. He'd be lucky if he didn't go off an inch in. He swallowed hard again, trying desperately to think of something -  _anything_  else.    
  
Izumo turned his attention back to Tetsu. His eyes were screwed tightly shut, his poor erection had gone nearly completely away and he was tense as all hell. "Tetsu," Izumo said, and Kotetsu looked up. "You have to relax." Kotetsu nodded and closed his eyes again.    
  
Izumo watched Tetsu take a deep breath and nod slightly then he felt the pressure around the head of his cock easy slightly. He continued to push in a little further, slowly, incredibly slowly. "Still burns, but… oh God, Zumo, it feels good, too."   
  
Izumo groaned at the words. His sanity, what was left of it, was slipping away quickly, and he thrust faster than he'd meant to. It pulled a gasp from Tetsu, but his friend jerked hips, lifted legs a little more and then Izumo was seated fully. He fell over Kotetsu, bracing his upper body on his hands, his head hanging as he tried to simply  _breathe_ . Nothing,  _nothing_ , in any of his experiences up until that point had prepared him for the feel of being buried in another body. _  
  
Tetsu's body_ . His mind told him and the distracting thought was enough to pull him back. He took the hand that still had lube left on it and wrapped it around Kotetsu's flagging cock. He ran his fist over it slowly, not moving his hips, simply staying there and giving Tetsu a chance to get used to the idea of being filled. Instead he worked the dick in his hand, slowly stroking it back to full hardness.    
  
And a few moments later, his friend was moving, hips tilting, trying to get him to move the cock buried in his ass. So Izumo eased slowly out almost all the way and pushed back in, his eyes nearly rolling into the back of his head. It was still so  _tight_ and felt… "so good," he groaned out loud.   
  
He leaned forward and their lips met, this kiss slow and not nearly as desperate as the earlier ones. Izumo had no time to ponder it, though, when Tetsu lifted his legs a little bit more and wrapped them around Izumo's waist.   
  
He took the hint and started moving, then. Slowly at first, then faster, thrusting harder and when he did something that made Tetsu gasp, he tried to find it again. He shifted and got the same kind of gasp, this one followed by a moan. He worked to keep doing that, trying to keep the same angle, but he was losing his concentration fast.    
  
The pleasure was building with a swiftness that stunned, the feel of Tetsu so tight, the working of his cock over just too much. "Oh fuck, Tetsu…" he managed then trailed off into wordless moans.    
  
Tetsu reached down and wrapped his hand around his own cock and started stroking it. "Fuck, fuck, Zumo, oh  _fuck_  that's good…" His other hand gripped a slat on the end of the bunk bed to brace himself and his legs tightened just a little bit.   
  
And the last bits of sanity and coherency died a brutal death in the pounding of bodies and the slap of flesh on flesh. Izumo's rhythm broke, his body demanding the end. His thrusts were hard and fast, and then it hit, his balls tightened almost painfully and his orgasm was absolutely nothing like he'd ever felt before. "Tetsu, oh fuck, oh god, oh fuck… I'm coming oh  _fuck_  I'm coming…"    
  
And then he slammed into Kotetsu one more time, his body shaking  _hard_  with the strength of it. The nerves along his spine caught fire and his teeth bit down on Tetsu's shoulder enough to break skin so he could muffle the near animalistic scream that came out. He jerked once, twice, and then emptied his balls into his friend's body.   
  
Kotetsu's hand spasmed on the thin wooden slat over his head and it broke when he yanked his hand at the feel of Izumo's cock slamming into his prostate. His hand jerked over his dick maybe three more times before his own climax screamed through his body igniting every nerve ending in its path. Thick ropes of cum shot out of him and sprayed them both. He registered the bite on his shoulder and the razor sharp pleasure intensified, forcing even more cum through his cock and onto the two of them.    
  
They lay utterly stunned in the aftermath of the storm. Izumo collapsed in almost slow motion on Kotetsu and they stayed that way for and unidentifiable amount time while they tried to collect their wits and sanity. Even the simple fact that they'd  _had sex_  was barely a blip on their mental radar; they were too shocked by it all.   
  
Finally, Izumo leaned up and looked into the slanted eyes. They didn't say anything, couldn't. There were no words in any vocabulary that could possible do justice to what had just happened. He eased out of Tetsu, wincing apologetically when his friend's face twisted. As he sat back, his eyes caught sight of his cum dripping out of his friend and he swallowed hard at the sight.    
  
In continued silence, they cleaned each other up, stripped the sheet from Izumo's bunk and replaced Tetsu's with it. When that was taken care of, they curled up together, not bothering with their pajamas. Their legs tangled, arms wrapped around each other and then their lips met in a kiss that confused the hell out of both of them in its emotional intensity. When they pulled back, they stared for a moment, then Kotetsu pulled the blanket over them and tucked Izumo under his chin. There were still no words spoken, still no sounds from either.    
  
And despite being exhausted, it would be a very long time before they managed to fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

"Come on, Tetsu, we don't want to miss the bus!" Izumo called from the front door.   
  
"I'll be right there!" Kotetsu called back. He pulled open the bottom drawer of the file cabinet, pawing through folders quickly. He should have guessed it would be in the very back of the drawer, but he shook the self-annoyance away and pulled the folder out. He paged through the contents hurriedly, found what he wanted finally and shoved everything else back. He stuffed the papers into his backpack and caught up to Izumo.   
  
"What was that all about?" Izumo asked as they ran toward the street, making it to the stop as the bus pulled up.   
  
"Nothing, just something I needed to grab." He said cryptically as they took their seats.   
  
Their morning hadn't been nearly as awkward as either of them had expected. The alarm went off as loud and annoying as it ever did for a Monday and as always, Zumo rolled out of bed to slap it into submission. They took their turns showering and dressing as they always had, mostly in silence as neither of them were morning people.   
  
So by the time they would normally have started talking anyway, they'd both managed to shove their fears and worries aside. They had sex and both of them recognized that, had they not met and gotten involved with Hayate and Kenji, they might well have done it long before then.   
  
Even so, their ride into school was in relative silence, though that was as much in deference to the Monday morning misery as anything. When they got to the school, they said their good-byes and "see you laters" and went their separate ways, Tetsu to The Bitch and Zumo to his less annoying math class.   
  
The morning dragged for Tetsu. He had lunch plans and it felt like the clock in each of his classrooms was mocking him, going slower than time really possibly could. So by the time the bell rang for his lunch, he was more short-tempered than usual.   
  
Even so, he hurried to the cafeteria so he could be there first and stood off to the side, waiting. He knew it would take Zumo longer to get there - he was on the other side of the building. So he had a window of a good few minutes to get done what he wanted to.   
  
Finally, the one he was waiting for showed up. He was, of course, not alone, but Tetsu had expected that. Kotetsu waited until he'd gone through the line and taken his seat.    
  
Tetsu forced himself to look the other boy over critically and was gratified to see that he didn't, at least, look happy. He did, in fact, look tired and out of sorts, which was promising. He approached the table, pulled a chair out, turned it around and straddled it before Hayate had a chance to react.   
  
"Don't say a word," Kotetsu started. "Because I know what you're going to say. I have some things to tell you, things that only one other person our age and a handful of adults know. You can sit there and listen, or I can guarantee you're in detention with me this afternoon." Kotetsu finished with a scowl on his face and the light of battle in his eye. He almost wanted Hayate to argue, wanted him to start something because it would make Kotetsu feel a lot better if he could plant a fist in that pretty face that Izumo loved so much.   
  
Hayate considered him a moment, glancing to the side at Kenji, but Kenji's gaze was locked on Kotetsu. Tetsu glanced at his former boyfriend. "You and I have our own discussion to have. You can stay and save me some breath or you can leave, but we're not done, either."   
  
All three boys sat in silence for a few seconds then Hayate gave a short, single nod.   
  
Kotetsu pulled the papers out of his bag the he'd grabbed that morning and slapped them onto the table. "Four years ago, I was arrested for murder," he started and felt a little bit of glee at the widening of Hayate's eyes. Kenji simply blinked once slowly at him in obvious shock.   
  
"Now that I have your attention," he said, "Let me explain. I was twelve. My bitch of a biological mother thought it was time I earned my keep. She was a whore. I'll let you connect those dots." He waited a brief moment and wasn't disappointed when the light of understanding hit the other two.    
  
"I didn't agree," he continued in a voice low enough that both of the other boys had to lean forward to hear him. "I didn't feel I should have to earn my keep  _that_  way and I fought it. And him. And I killed him. Four years later, I still have nightmares."   
  
The word 'nightmares' hung in the air over the table almost as if it were a tangible thing dangling on string from the ceiling. Kotetsu's eyes swung from Kenji to Hayate and back again. He nudged the papers across the table. "That is the summary of the investigation, along with the psychological evaluation they put me through." He took a breath, his chest tight from the memories that were horribly close to the surface as they always were when he forced himself to think about it. "The only thing that keeps me from the nightmares is Izumo."   
  
He waited again, letting the words settle. "We. Did. Not. Have. Sex. That. Night. When he's there, I don't dream, I don't have nightmares, I don't wake up screaming. When he's not, I do." He prayed that they didn't get upset yet about the minor point of clarification he put in there about  _when_  they didn't have sex. That would be dealt with shortly.   
  
He took another breath. "Someday, the years of counseling will get through. Someday, I won't be so fucking dependent on my best friend." He paused to gather his control and spotted Izumo on the other side of the cafeteria watching them. He raised a hand and gave a come here gesture. "But right now, I do. He sleeps next to me.  _Sleeps_ . And yesterday and last night, I held him while he cried because you-," he jabbed a finger at Hayate, "You told him you loved him, then stepped on his pleas for you to listen and walked away as if it was bullshit. Was it? Did  _you_  lie?"   
  
Hayate swallowed hard and his eyes dropped to the table, leaving the question unanswered.   
  
Izumo approached them, the tension around the table so thick it could be cut with a knife. "Tetsu? H…Hayate?" Izumo started.   
  
Hayate turned around and the pain on Izumo's face could have been seen by a blind man. "Z…Izumo… I…" he swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. He glanced at a shame-faced Kenji, whose eyes were glued to Kotetsu, then to Tetsu who was staring at Kenji, pain in the dark slanted eyes then he shifted his eyes to Izumo who was still staring at him.    
  
Zumo's eyes were too bright, holding back an incredibly tangled knot of emotion that Hayate could only barely begin to understand. Yate stood up and took the half step toward Izumo. "I…" he started again, trying to find words to adequately convey just how…  _rotten_  he felt. "There… I…  _fuck_ ," he said in frustration, his eyes closing. "I'm a bastard," he settled on, then opened his eyes again.   
  
"Did you lie? Was that bullshit, Yate?" Izumo asked, and Hayate didn't miss the tremble in the bottom lip that was quickly firmed.   
  
Hayate shook his head, his body answering before his brain could form the words. His mind caught up then, and he took one more breath, swallowed again. "No, Zumo, I didn't lie. It was true and maybe that's why it hurt, but I was wrong to not even listen, to not even give you a chance to answer the accusation."   
  
Izumo nodded then took a deep breath. "There's else something you need to know."   
  
Hayate blinked a moment then glanced over at Kotetsu who was now sitting next to Kenji. They were talking and… holding hands. He turned back to Izumo. "You did, didn't you? A… after?"   
  
Izumo nodded. "You'd dumped me. You hurt me. I was angry because, well, I _hadn't_ . I'd done  _everything_  right with that and I was still hanged for it without a goddamned trial. I was hurt and I was angry and the person that  _I_  comfort was having to soothe  _me_ . Tell me that you wouldn't have done the same." He paused to get himself under control again and waited. Hayate didn't speak and that was answer enough. "Regardless of that, it doesn't change how I feel. It doesn't change the fact that…" he stopped again to swallow his lump. "The fact that you're the one I… I love." He closed his eyes and fought against the tear that wanted to escape, but the fight was in vain and it got away, anyway.   
  
He felt a hand on his face and the tear was brushed away. "I'm sorry, Zumo. I don't… I don't deserve it, but… please… forgive me."   
  
Izumo let a shuddering breath out and the tears, despite his attempts fell faster. "Will you also forgive  _me_ ? I should have told you, I should have said something. You should  _not_  have found out that way. I…" He was interrupted with a finger on his lip.   
  
"Shh. Let's… start over a little, okay?" He asked and Izumo met those dark eyes and nodded. Hayate leaned in and closed the distance, placing a very short, chaste kiss on Izumo's lip. "I'd do a lot more. I want you in my arms right now, but this isn't the place. Can we… be together after school?"   
  
Izumo look into his boyfriend's eyes and nodded. He didn't know just what Hayate meant, exactly, but the fact that they'd be in the same place at the same time was enough for the moment. He opened his mouth to say something when they were interrupted.   
  
"Oh look, the fags are having a lover's spat!" The annoying ass from the week before was back. Izumo spun on his heel, pulled his fist back and swung forward in the space of a few seconds.   
  
But he was, quite literally, beaten to the punch. All four of them were standing around the guy who was now sprawled on the floor. He knew  _his_  fist hadn't made contact, but all four of them had theirs out. The cafeteria monitor rushed over and, unfortunately for all of them, it was Mrs. Suki. "Which one of you did it?" She demanded of them.   
  
"Did you hear what he said?" Kotetsu asked, eyebrows up.   
  
"It doesn't matter, nothing deserves violence!" She shouted, her fists clenched at her sides.   
  
Four sets of eyebrows went up then four voices said, at the same time, "I did it."   
  
She blinked at them. "I know that's not the case. Which one of you? Tell me now or you're  _all_  getting detention tonight."   
  
They looked at each other, then back at her and, yet again at the same time, they all said, "I did."   
  
They watched in fascination as The Bitch's face turned a nice shade of purple. "Office. All of you. Now."   
  
All four of them glanced at each other and shrugged. Kotetsu scooped the papers up from the table and they turned toward the door. Izumo glanced over his shoulder to see the ass still sprawled on the floor. He turned back and as he started walking, he felt a hand take his. He glanced up at Hayate and smiled, closing his hand around the other one.    
  
  
The back row of the detention hall was made up of four completely unrepentant people. Kenji, Kotetsu, Izumo and Hayate worked quietly on their homework as The Bitch sat at the desk in the front of the room attempting to glare daggers at them. As the clock ticked the end of their punishment, she actually let out a low growl before ungraciously saying, "dismissed."   
  
The four boys headed to the parking lot where Kotetsu and Izumo paused. The afternoon had gone by fairly swiftly after their sentence had been passed down by the principal. He'd been disappointed by the display of violence, but confided that his  _own_  partner would probably have cheered them on. After they recovered from the shock, they heard him say that he had to pass discipline down because he couldn't condone violence, but that a couple of days of detention should satisfy everyone.   
  
But now that it was all over and there was no longer a desk or classroom or other students between them, the worry and awkwardness leaked back in. Hayate glanced at the two of them, then pulled Izumo into his arms, pushed him up against the jeep and captured his lips in a kiss that left no more room for doubts.    
  
They ignored Kenji and Kotetsu, too preoccupied with each other. He pulled back and pushed the bangs out of Zumo's face. "I love you, Izumo. I know we're just kids to a lot of people, but I don't give a shit what they think. I know that we're not typical teenagers and I know what I  _feel_ . We've both fucked up, me much more than you, but… I think we can get past it."   
  
Izumo nodded, swallowing around the lump. His hands flexed in his boyfriend's unkempt hair. "I'm so sorry for my part; I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't… I just… didn't… think." He shook his head as if to banish the block on his words. "I… love you, too."    
  
With those words, Hayate dove back in for another kiss and they got thoroughly lost in it. Their tongues danced and they forgot the parking lot, forgot the other couple, forgot everything but each other. When they broke apart again, they glanced to the side to see Kotetsu and Kenji in a similar tangle.   
  
"I should have given you a chance to explain." Kenji said, frowning. He looked down into the slanted eyes. "I'm not Hayate, we're not them, and I don't know that I… love… at all…" he paused. "Yet. But I know that I was an ass, and I'd like to…" he squeezed Kotetsu's hand. "I'd like to… not start over, exactly, but… try again, maybe?"   
  
Kotetsu returned the squeeze. "I don't love you, either. My pride was hurt as much as anything, but I like what we had before this. I'd like to try to get back to that, at least." Kotetsu shoved aside the niggling thought that he may never love anyone. He knew, in the deepest parts of himself that was his mother talking.    
  
Kenji nodded. "I'd like that, too." His lips spread into a smile. "And maybe… a bit more?" He raised an eyebrow.   
  
"You look totally like Spock when you do that," Kotetsu said with a chuckle and Kenji laughed. "Yeah, maybe a bit more." Tetsu agreed and they kissed again.   
  
The four of them managed to drag themselves into the Jeep and made their way to Izumo and Kotetsu's house. They didn't bother with the pretense of homework that afternoon. They'd get to that later, they had other things to make up for instead.   
  
  
Kenji and Kotetsu took up space on the couch and Hayate took the armchair, pulling Izumo onto his lap. In relative privacy, hands roamed, lips nibbled and they lost themselves in each other again. Izumo rubbed his palm along the growing arousal he felt in his boyfriend's pants, his own cock making life more and more uncomfortable.   
  
"Tell me about it," Hayate whispered, dropping light kisses and nibbles on Izumo's jaw and neck. "Your first experience. Did you top or bottom?"   
  
Izumo pulled back and considered the other boy for a minute, but there was no malice or jealousy in his eyes, only curiosity, so he settled back in. "I topped Tetsu. It was… well, as I'm sure you're aware, there's nothing to compare it to." He paused, a shiver running through him at the memory. "God, it felt so good." He felt the erection harden under his ass at the words. He thought about how much Hayate had liked the talking he'd done in the Jeep Friday night and decided to be just a  _little_ evil. He twisted so his mouth was next to Hayate's ear. "I fucked him so hard he broke the bed when he came," Izumo whispered, drawing out the "f" word.   
  
Hayate groaned and glanced over at the couch. The other two had stretched out and Kenji was lying on top of Tetsu, currently cradled between Kotetsu's legs. Kenji was rocking into Tetsu, their mouths busy with each other. Kotetsu's hands were on Kenji's ass. One of Kenji's was tangled in Tetsu's spikes and pulling, and the other couldn't be seen.   
  
He turned back to Izumo. "Tell me more," he whispered.   
  
Izumo shifted so that he was straddling Hayate and leaned in to Hayate's ear again. "My cock was so  _fucking_  hard. I filled his ass, fucked him until he nearly screamed." He rocked against the thick arousal under him and nipped at the ear next to his lips. "I bit him, too," he said, demonstrating on Hayate's neck, earning another moan. "Pounded into him with this…" he rocked again, "Cock, then I  _came_  so  _fucking hard_ ," Izumo continued. "Filling his ass with my hot…" he licked Hayate's ear again, "Cum…," and bit the lobe.   
  
Hayate bucked up into him, the groan loud in his ear. "Fuck, Zumo, you're good at that." He moaned again. "More," he demanded.   
  
"More?" Izumo asked and Yate nodded. "Should I tell you just how fucking hard I am now? How I wonder what it's like to fill your ass with my cock, Yate? Would you like to know how hard I'd fuck you? How my cock feels inside you?  _Pounding_  into you?" When this was only answered with nearly brutal rocking and downright whimpers, he went a little further. "Would you let me do that?  _Fuck_  you hard?" Another drawn out 'f' word. "Make you come so much you can't see?"   
  
More groans came from Hayate's throat, he bit at Izumo's neck and his hands gripped Zumo's hips moving his lover against him, cocks rubbing, both of them moaning quietly. "Want you, fuck, want you  _now,_ Zumo… I'm so fucking hard."   
  
Izumo glanced at the clock. Their mom wouldn't be home for at least a few hours yet. "We're alone for a while yet, but there's only one place here we could go." The bed that he and Tetsu had had sex in the night before. And for reasons he didn't want to examine too closely, he didn't want to do that with Hayate there.   
  
"You know, we could just… throw a blanket or two on the floor…," Hayate suggested.   
  
Izumo moaned at the images that flashed through his brain and dropped his head onto Hayate's shoulder. He took a deep breath, adjusted himself enough so that standing wasn't painful and got to his feet. He stepped back and held out a hand.   
  
Kotetsu and Kenji glanced over at them as they stood. "We're… going to the bedroom," Izumo said. Kotetsu looked at him for a long moment and Izumo cleared his throat. "Floor," was all he said and Tetsu gave a very short not- _quite_ -nod of confirmation.    
  
When they'd left, Kenji turned back to Kotetsu. "What was that about?"   
  
"They're going in to have sex." Kotetsu answered, "And they're avoiding the bottom bunk."   
  
"Ah," Kenji nodded. "I… can understand. So, is your mom going to be away for a while yet?"   
  
Kotetsu nodded. "A few hours, at least." He squeezed the ass under his hands. "So… what about that 'little more'?"   
  
Kenji grinned. "Yes, about that 'little more'," he said and dove in for another kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. This chapter is gratuitous sex. Enjoy! XD

When they got to the bedroom, Hayate wasted no time stripping the blanket from the top bunk and grabbing the pillow. He tossed them on the floor and turned to Izumo.   
  
Zumo, meanwhile had dug out the box he'd stuffed in his drawer and as he handled it, nervousness started to set in. It was one thing to do this with Tetsu - he didn't have to worry about how good he was or what he did. He  _knew_  Tetsu would never laugh or anything.   
  
And somewhere deep down, he knew Yate wouldn't, either. But he was still nervous. He fumbled with the box, ripping it in his efforts to get the stupid thing open and still hadn't managed to get it far enough to actually get anything out of it. His hands were starting to shake when the box was plucked out of them.   
  
Hayate calmly opened the box and pulled a couple of the condoms out, tossing them down next to the pillow. "Do you have lube?" He asked, just as calmly and Izumo had a moment to be annoyed.   
  
"How can you be so composed?" He asked with an irritated scowl and Hayate pulled him close. But when his boyfriend's arms were wrapped around him and he was up against that incredible body, he felt the tremor. "Oh," he breathed. He looked up into Hayate's face, at those dark eyes and just… stopped.   
God, he  _did_  love this boy… man.   
  
He swallowed hard, feeling very briefly like he was somehow betraying Kotetsu, which was ridiculous. They were  _just_  friends. Best friends, maybe. And maybe they'd had sex, but they were  _just_  friends.   
  
He shook the silly feeling off and leaned up, laying his lips gently on Yate's. He felt the emotions, poured his own into it and hoped Hayate understood it. He could barely breathe for how hard that realization had hit him.   
  
The kiss morphed, heat flared and what started out as gentle and wondering turned into sharp need quickly. Izumo's cock, which had started to flag with the nervousness hardened fast and he moaned as want flew through his body.   
  
"God, Zumo," Hayate moaned. He grabbed at Zumo's shirt, pulling it over his head, Zumo returning the favor and separating them for a very few seconds. Then they crashed together again and their tongues fought for dominance as belts were attacked and buttons pulled. There was a pop somewhere along the way and then the sharp rasp of zippers in a room that was only otherwise occupied by gasps and groans.   
  
And then they were naked and flush up against each other again. "Yate…" Izumo nearly whimpered, incapable of much more when his cock rubbed against the other's. He wrapped a hand around his boyfriend's hard length and stroked it a few times, but Hayate pulled it away.   
  
"Won't last if you do that," he warned. "Too… worked… up…" he said between bites and nibbles.   
  
Izumo swallowed hard, digging deep for some form of control. He pulled away long enough to dive for the bunk bed and the bottle under the pillow then was back and Hayate was pulling him down onto the blanket on the floor. "Want to taste you," Yate murmured and then Izumo nearly shouted at the feel of the warm, wet mouth surrounding him.   
  
"Oh  _fuck_  Yate!" Izumo unconsciously bucked up into Hayate's mouth his hands threading through the thick dark hair. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." It turned into a mantra, a litany of sounds as the mouth on him sucked and worked him over. He felt the tongue slide along the underside of his dick and he nearly screamed, then. He stared down at the top of the dark head and watched it bob as the mouth attached to it devoured him.   
  
"Stop. Oh God, stop, Yate,  _stop!_ " He pulled on the hair, tugging harder than he meant to, but he was already getting  _so_ close.   
  
Hayate moved off of him, then and he sat up, capturing Yate's lips and losing himself again in that wonderful mouth. "Mmm. I could kiss you all day," Hayate murmured and Izumo pulled back to look at him. The look in Yate's eyes nearly made him crazy and he brought his mouth back in and attacked, this kiss hard and full of teeth.   
  
His cock dribbled pre-cum in a steady stream now; he was so hard it nearly hurt. He  _needed_  desperately. Needed Hayate, needed to feel this person that he loved. But  _he_  wanted to taste, too. He pushed Hayate over, kissing his way down his boyfriend's body, nibbling here and nipping there. He paused to tongue one nipple and thrilled at the sharp gasp that he got from it. He gave the same to the other then continued down over the pale skin.   
  
He didn't give himself time to think or wonder or  _worry_ , he opened his mouth and swallowed as much of it as he could. He moaned around the cock in his mouth, the taste and feel incredible to him, earning himself a hiss. He slid his mouth off, then back down again and tried to relax a little to take more in. When he managed, his nose touching hair, Hayate let out a very loud "FUCK, Zumo!"   
  
He was able to suck lightly, move his mouth off and back down once more then his hair was being pulled, much like he'd done to Yate and he backed off. Hayate sat up and pulled him close again, lips claiming. _  
  
Claiming him_ . That's what it felt like. Those lips moved over his neck and down, then sucked a bit of the skin into Yate's mouth hard enough to break blood vessels and mark. "Mine," Hayate whispered against the bruise and Izumo felt a shiver run through him.   
  
"Yours," Izumo agreed, his hands spearing through the mass of unruly hair. When Hayate pulled back, Izumo leaned in and put his own mark on the other's pale skin. "Mine," he said, echoing his boyfriend's sentiments.   
  
"Yours," Hayate murmured. "Only yours," he whispered and the fast and hard slowed to soft in a blink.   
  
Hayate pulled Izumo closer, wrapping him into a tight hold, their lips brushing, nibbling, and loving. Their hands smoothed over each other's bodies, feeling, exploring and learning. Fingertips touched muscles, dips and ridges drawing new gasps.   
  
Somewhere along the line, Hayate lay back down, pulling Izumo with him and the skin to skin contact brought the need and want close enough to the surface to eclipse any prior thoughts of going slow. Hayate grabbed Izumo's hand and guided it toward his entrance.   
  
"Zumo…" he said. That was all; just his name and Izumo knew what he wanted. He grabbed the bottle on the floor next to them and sat up enough to open it. One of Yate's hands threaded through Izumo's hair and played with it as he worked to ready his lover, his boyfriend's eyes glued to Izumo's face.   
  
  
  
Hayate watched the play of emotions as they crossed Zumo's features: the worry, the want and the need and when his lover glanced up and those warm brown eyes met his, the love. He felt his breath hitch and stutter in his chest. He'd almost fucked this up, almost lost this person.   
  
Then his thoughts derailed completely when he felt the fingers probing and stretching. He closed his eyes, his back arching when one of them hit the bundle of nerves. A loud moan escaped and the hand he had buried in Zumo's hair tightened. "God, baby…" he breathed.   
  
  
  
Izumo relaxed a little at those words, at the knowledge that he'd caused that kind of pleasure. But his nervousness got worse again when he moved into position. He shook just a little, his hands not quite steady.   
  
Hayate apparently saw it and rolled them. He kissed Izumo again, another slow, soft and thorough one guaranteed to scramble Zumo's brain.   
  
And it succeeded. Izumo found himself on his back with Yate moving down slowly onto his cock.   
  
"Oh God, Yate…" Izumo moaned loudly. His hands went to Hayate's hips, and the taller boy paused when he was all the way down. Both gasped for breath, both fighting for that tenuous and ever elusive control.   
  
"You feel so good, Zumo," Hayate whispered before he began moving. Yate rose up then lowered himself again, staying slow, and Izumo could tell by the look in Yate's eye that it wasn't just for  _his, Izumo's,_  control.   
  
After only a few more of these, however, Izumo was sure he was going to go insane and he squeezed Hayate's hips in his hands. He sat up, pulling Yate in for a kiss and tried to guide his lover's hips in a faster pace. "Need more of you," Izumo moaned. "Please…"   
  
And so he gave, and Izumo took. When Hayate lifted his hips up, Izumo lay back again and started thrusting up into him, needing more, pushing for that pleasure. He wanted, no,  _demanded_  Yate's moans and gasps.   
  
Hayate leaned back a little, bracing himself on Zumo's thighs and started to ride with abandon. "Oh God, Zumo. Oh… _fuck_ …" His head fell back, the muscles in his belly and legs bunching with strain as he moved his body.   
  
"Yate…" Izumo warned. He tried to slow it down, tried to draw it out, this, their first time together, but it was no use.   
  
No matter how good the intentions are, the body has its own agenda. The pleasure still built, still drew them in and Hayate's nails dug into skin as their movements sped up and need took over. Moans got louder, rhythms broke and thrusts became erratic. "Oh God, Yate…" Izumo moaned as Hayate rode his lover hard.   
  
"Yes, Zumo! Oh fuck, Zumo… I'm… I'm… oh GOD!" Hayate's eyes flew open in shock as his body shuddered and shook, he slammed down onto Izumo  _hard_  once more and his cock released a huge spray of cum, coating Izumo's chest and stomach in the thick white liquid.   
  
The sight of Hayate coming with nothing other than Izumo's body buried inside him was a heady thought that took the building pleasure, tightening balls and nerves that were just on a razor's edge and threw them over that edge and into an intense orgasm. Zumo shouted his lover's name, surging up into him, his back arched, head thrown back, hands tight enough to bruise and sight disappearing.   
  
At some point, he became aware that Hayate was laying on top of him and he had a disconnected thought that he was still a mess and should clean up, but he couldn't make the idea land anywhere in his brain. His arms were wrapped around his lover, they were half on and half off of the blanket and the pillow was nowhere to be found. And he was in heaven.   
  
Izumo had to clear his throat twice before he could force sound out. "Yate?"   
  
"Dear God, what was that?" Hayate asked from Izumo's neck.   
  
"Um… besides the fact that we, well, we had sex?" Izumo asked, amusement playing at the edge of his tone. At Hayate's nod, he said, "Well, you have more experience than I do. I have no idea."   
  
There was a quiet chuckle. "Actually, I don't. Now, anyway. I said I'd had sex with one person and that was true. But it was only ever once."   
  
"Oh." Izumo said, feeling ridiculously good about that. "I take it that didn't happen last time?"   
  
"No. But then again, I, um, topped, too." Hayate still hadn't moved and Izumo quite couldn't blame him. He'd be just as comfortable if he were there.   
  
Izumo blinked. "Oh." He said again. The idea that he was Yate's first top rolled around his head for a moment looking for a place to take hold before, it, too, gave up. "I… um…" He tried again, feeling rather unintelligent in that moment, though he supposed that was acceptable after the mind-blowing orgasm he'd just had.   
  
"Well, um…" Izumo started again then just stopped trying to think. He felt good, incredibly so, both physically and emotionally. Instead he did the only thing his brain could come up with and that was kiss any part of Hayate he could reach.   
  
Yate's fingers traced light patterns on the shoulder not currently under his face, dropping his own kisses on the skin in front of him. He sat up a little and looked down into Izumo's face. He brushed at the bangs that never seemed to stay away and leaned in to kiss. When they pulled back, his finger traced the bruise on Izumo's neck in silence.   
  
A moment later, he eased himself off and stretched out alongside of the other boy. He wrapped Izumo in his arms. "I'm afraid I'm rather selfish," he began, sighing.   
  
Izumo tangled their legs together and snaked his arm around Hayate. "Oh?" He asked, burying his face in the other's chest and dropping random kisses across it.   
  
"Mmm. I don't want to share you. I told you once I don't want to get between you and Tetsu and that's true." He sighed. "And… well, I won't lie and tell you that it doesn't bother me just a little that you sleep next to each other, but…" he squeezed his arms when Izumo inhaled to argue. "But, I understand, at least to a point. I understand  _why_  you do and I  _will_  deal with it because I don't want to lose you. And I won't make you choose."   
  
Izumo closed his mouth, swallowing the comments he was going to make. They both knew who he'd choose, if he were forced. Rather than address that, he took a deep breath. "I can understand, actually, the… 'selfishness' as you're calling it. I… wouldn't be happy about it if you were in my place. I can only promise you that nothing more than sleeping will ever happen. I hug him to calm him down the rare times the nightmares break through, anyway, but that's all."   
  
Hayate nodded. "I can live with that." He paused for another of those slow, mind scrambling kisses. When they broke apart they simply stared at each other for another few moments. "I love you, Izumo."   
  
"I love you," Izumo replied and snuggled into Hayate's chest.   
  
They lay quietly for a few moments then Hayate chuckled. Izumo looked up with a raised eyebrow. Yate reached up past Izumo's head and picked something up. When he held it up, Izumo snickered which turned into chuckles and eventually a full laugh.   
  
He was holding up the condoms, still in their packages.   
  


* * *

  
_Kenji grinned. "Yes, about that 'little more'," he said and dove in for another kiss._   
  
  
Kenji pulled back and grinned down at Kotetsu. "How about you lock the front door… just in case?"   
  
"That's probably a good idea. The other two have a lot more warning if she decides to come home early." Kotetsu dropped a playful smack on Kenji's ass and he sat back so Tetsu could stand. "I mean, I know she's okay with this, but there's a difference between being okay with it and walking in on us. And…and this is  _really_ embarrassing - she bought us condoms."   
  
"You're kidding," Kenji said, his mouth hanging open.   
  
Tetsu shook his head. "Nope. We went in to brush our teeth last night and they were in the medicine cabinet. Along with a ridiculously big bottle of lube."   
  
"Oh my god. I think if my mom did that, I'd die of embarrassment," Kenji said from the couch.   
  
"I think we both nearly did." Kotetsu said, twisting the knob lock and throwing the deadbolt, for good measure. He chuckled at the memory. "I can't remember the last time I saw Izumo with a face that red… no…" he paused, looking thoughtful, "That's not quite true. I think the last time was when Mom tried to talk to him about sex the day Yate was here."   
  
Kenji shook his head. "I get that your mom's cool about it and all, but…" he trailed off as Kotetsu moved back to the couch.   
  
"Yeah, there are some things you just don't want to talk to your parents about." Kotetsu sat next to his boyfriend and turned on the couch to face him.   
  
"Right. Let's… stop talking about parents," Kenji said, leaning in. "I think I'd rather get you naked."   
  
Kotetsu groaned at the heat in Kenji's hazel eyes and wasted no time pulling his shirt off. He tugged at Kenji's without a word and then they fell back onto the couch again. "Naked is much better," Kotetsu murmured before his mouth was busy again. The kiss was hard and needy, both of them plenty aroused after their games earlier.   
  
Kenji bit at Kotetsu's lip and Tetsu growled, bucking up into his boyfriend and grinding their cocks together. "Fuck, Kenji," Kotetsu hissed, his hands pushing between them to work at the button on Kenji's jeans.   
  
"Mmm. Fuck is right. Gonna fuck you hard, Tetsu," Kenji promised, and he reared back enough to push his jeans down. Tetsu worked his own over his hips and together they kicked the offending clothes to the floor. Kenji leaned over and dug into his bag for a moment then came back with condom and bottle in hand.   
  
Kotetsu quirked a brow. "Keep those with you a lot?"   
  
Kenji snickered. "I put them in my bag last week. Just kept hoping for the right opportunity."   
  
Kotetsu chuckled, shaking his head then pulled Kenji toward him. "Wanna suck you first," Tetsu muttered and Kenji groaned as he moved into place. The bottle and condom got dropped as he braced himself on the arm of the couch. Kotetsu sucked Kenji's cock into his mouth and grabbed his boyfriend's hips pulling him closer.   
  
He worked the cock over, licking, sucking, doing anything he could think of. He and Zumo had done this a few times, but he was still new to it. He listened to the sounds Kenji made; paid attention to when he did something right and did his best to replicate it. "Fuck, Tetsu…" Kenji groaned, "God _damn_ …" He pumped into Kotetsu's mouth, Tetsu working his tongue along the length then sucking on the tip. Tetsu relaxed his throat the way he'd learned to with Zumo and swallowed Kenji on his next thrust. "Oh FUCK," Kenji nearly shouted.   
  
He pulled back then and paused, panting hard. When he could breathe again, he scooped the dropped items back up and sat back. He ripped at the package, tossing the wrapper aside in his haste. The second the latex was on, he was back on Tetsu, with another of those hard kisses as he grabbed the bottle.   
  
"Flip over," he muttered, sitting back enough to give Tetsu room to move.   
  
Kotetsu turned around, pulling his knees up under him and looking back over his shoulder. He watched Kenji fight with the bottle, but when the first finger moved into him, his eyes slid closed. He moved against that finger, tilting his hips, hoping that Kenji would hit the spot Zumo did.   
  
It wasn't until the second finger had been added that Kenji found it. "Oh fuck, yeah, there…" Kotetsu moaned and Kenji brushed his fingers over it again. Grunts were loosed as Tetsu was stretched and readied. But after only a few moments, Tetsu was getting frustrated. "Enough, fuck. Give me that cock, already!" He demanded.   
  
"Impatient, aren't you?" Kenji asked with a chuckle, moving into place.   
  
"Fuck yeah," Kotetsu replied.   
  
Kenji didn't respond beyond that, he was too focused on pushing into his lover's body. " _Fuck_  that's tight. Oh damn, Tetsu," the moan was low, breathing short. He paused for a second, to gather his wits. "God, yeah," Kenji whispered, pulling out slightly then pushing back in, further this time.   
  
"God _damn_  you're slow…" Kotetsu moaned.   
  
"I thought you'd only done this once before," Kenji griped.   
  
Tetsu chuckled. "And?" He glanced over his shoulder again with a raised eyebrow. "I want your cock in me, is there something wrong with that?"   
  
Kenji grinned. "Hell no," he said and pushed the rest of the way in.   
  
"Oh Ffffuck!" Kotetsu nearly shouted. His head dropped and he panted hard as he worked to get a hold of himself and get used to being filled again. Kenji stayed there just a moment then it was Tetsu himself who started moving. "Fuck me, Kenji," Tetsu demanded, rocking back against his boyfriend.   
  
Kenji needed no further encouragement and he started moving, thrusting hard, pumping fast into Tetsu's body. He reached up and grasped a handful of Kotetsu's spikes and pulled, earning him a loud groan from the other boy. "Oh  _fuck_ yeah!" Tetsu shouted as he moved, meeting Kenji's thrusts.   
  
They got lost in the grunts and moans, the slap of skin on skin, the feel of each other's bodies. It was unapologetically hard and it was fast and that was how they both wanted it. Tetsu braced himself on one arm and wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking himself in time with the fast pace of Kenji's thrusts.   
  
"Fuck, Tetsu…" Kenji moaned, "Going to come… fuck… soon…" Sweat broke out and dribbled down his face, splashing onto Tetsu's back. "Nngh, oh god… now, oh fuck _NOW! TETSU!"_ Kenji shouted and slammed into Kotetsu hard, his climax roaring through him.   
  
Kotetsu was so focused on his own body and the pleasure crashing through him that he barely heard his boyfriend's loud voice. He'd snatched up his shirt just in time to avoid messing up the couch. "Kenji, fuck, Kenji… coming…" he groaned loudly through harsh pants then shouted when his boyfriend slammed into his prostate. Kenji's hands tightened in Tetsu's hair, sharpening his orgasm and he nearly screamed with it.   
  
They fell forward together onto the couch, both of them trying to remember how to simply breathe. "Damn, Tetsu," Kenji managed between gasps.   
  
Tetsu chuckled. "Something… wrong?" He swallowed around his dry throat when his voice came out in a croak.   
  
"Hell, no. God." Kenji sat back, and Kotetsu hissed when he pulled out. "Sorry, you okay?"   
  
"Yeah, fine." He didn't move, couldn't really. "How the hell am I supposed to concentrate on homework after that?" Kotetsu asked, not really expecting an answer.   
  
He didn't get one, Kenji laughed instead. "You're too much, babe." He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on Tetsu's shoulder. Tetsu twisted around and returned it, their lips meeting again. When they broke apart, there were twin grins on their faces.   
  
"Too much for you?" Kotetsu asked, continuing the thought.   
  
Kenji swatted Tetsu's butt as they stood up to find clothes. "Nope. Good thing for you, too."   
  
"Oh, really?" Kotetsu asked, grimacing at his shirt. "Damn, and I am  _not_  going into the bedroom." He balled his shirt up and tossed it aside, pulling his jeans on.   
  
Kenji chuckled. "You couldn't pay me to go in there right now." He pulled Tetsu against him. "Yeah, it's a good thing for you. If you were too much, you wouldn't get my thick cock in your ass as much as you want."   
  
"As much as I want? Are you sure you wanna offer that?" Kotetsu asked, wrapping an arm around Kenji and squeezing his ass.   
  
Kenji just grinned. "I can handle you."   
  
"Really? We'll see about that…" Tetsu whispered nipping at Kenji's neck. The reply was a quiet chuckle and an answering nip.   
  
  
  
A short while later, Izumo and Hayate emerged from the bedroom. Izumo wrinkled his nose. "Better open a window, Tetsu." He sighed. "And we should probably actually get some homework done. Mom may suspect something, but…"   
  
Kotetsu made a face, pulling himself from the couch and cracking the front window. "Yeah, we had that discussion already," Tetsu said and groaned as he grabbed his bag. They shuffled to the kitchen and set up at the table. Tetsu and Kenji watched in amusement as Hayate pulled Izumo's chair around so that they were practically sitting in each other's laps, anyway.   
  
Kotetsu shook his head then looked up in surprise when Kenji did the same to him. His boyfriend wouldn't look at him, though. Instead, he put an arm around him and went back to his homework. Tetsu puzzled over it a moment, then let it go, putting his left hand on Kenji's knee.   
  
  
  
That's how Mrs. Kamizuki found them when she came home later that evening. She paused outside the kitchen door, watching as the two couples took their hands off each other long enough to turn a page or scratch or pick up a cup then went right back to touching.   
  
She chuckled to herself. She'd recognized the smells. Her husband may have been gone for a long time, but she hadn't forgotten it. A smile split her face when Hayate leaned over and kissed her son. Izumo paused when he pulled back, his eyes closed for a few seconds, then Yate lifted his hand and brushed at the bangs again.   
  
She turned her attention to the other two. She frowned a little at Tetsu and his boyfriend. She could tell things weren't the same between Kotetsu and Kenji. He seemed happy enough, though and God knew that poor boy had little enough to be happy about for the first twelve years of his life. She hoped things would work out for them.   
  
She backed away and turned toward her room. She'd let them have a few more minutes alone. As she stepped through her door, her eyes fell on the framed picture on her bedside table. Sho's face grinned up at her, a tiny Izumo in his arms. She swallowed around the lump that always seemed to form when she looked at it and turned to change clothes.   
  
As she took her sweats out of her dresser, her thoughts floated back to the kitchen and she hoped that her two sons out there, the one of her body and the one of her heart, would someday be as happy as she'd had the chance to be.   
  
She just hoped that it was sooner, rather than later, that they figured out they'd be happiest with each other.


End file.
